Govt to table white paper on Batu Puteh in Dewan: Anwar

PUTRAJAYA – A white paper on Batu Puteh will be prepared and tabled in Parliament for further action, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. 

Speaking to reporters after chairing the cabinet meeting today, Anwar said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said would prepare the paper.

“This is because of the report of the special task force to protest the (government’s) decision not to appeal (the 2008 International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision), which caused Malaysia to lose its territory (Batu Puteh); and you know that in any country, losing territory is a huge problem,” he said.

On January 27, Attorney-General Tan Sri Idrus Harun said the withdrawal of a review application over the ICJ’s decision on the Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca), Middle Rocks, and South Ledge claim was not in order and improper.

On February 3, 2017, the Malaysian government filed an application for a revision of the ICJ’s ruling awarding legal jurisdiction of Batu Puteh to Singapore, Middle Rocks to Malaysia, and South Ledge to the state in whose territorial waters it is located.

However, in 2018, the then Pakatan Harapan government under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership withdrew the application before the case was heard as the hearing was scheduled for June 11, 2018.

On December 14 last year, Anwar had called for the claims on Batu Puteh to be reviewed through immediate and more meaningful negotiations with Singapore, without jeopardising bilateral relations.

He said he had also explained to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that the decision made by Malaysia would not affect the good bilateral relations between the two countries.

“It will also not affect the status of Batu Puteh, which is now under Singapore’s legal jurisdiction as decided by the ICJ.

“It’s just that the weakness that violated the process needs to be addressed...that’s why the cabinet discussed it in detail and decided to have the white paper to be tabled in Parliament,” he added. – Bernama, February 8, 2023