ICJ's ruling on Pedra Branca to be delivered on May
23
SINGAPORE: Reading of the International Court of
Justice's (ICJ) judgment in the case concerning sovereignty over
Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge will be carried out on
May 23.
A public sitting will take place at 10am at the Peace Palace in
Hague during which the Acting President of the Court, Judge Awn
Shawkat Al-Khasawneh, will deliver the court's judgement.
The Singaporean delegation that will be receiving the judgement
will comprise Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for
National Security Professor S Jayakumar, Chief Justice Chan Sek
Keong and Ambassador-at-Large Professor Tommy Koh, who is also
serving as the Agent of Singapore for this case.
There was a three-week long hearing over the sovereignty of Pedra
Branca – known as Pulau Batu Puteh to the Malaysians – and its two
outcrops of Middle Rocks and South Ledge last year at the ICJ in
The Hague as Singapore and Malaysia could not settle their dispute
over the island.
The dispute arose when Malaysia published its new map in 1979 of
its territories, which included Pedra Branca. Singapore disagreed
with it because it said it owns the island.
The ICJ's judgment will be final and cannot be appealed. Both
countries have said they would respect and accept the court's
decision.
- CNA