Channel NewsAsia 6 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE: Singaporean and Malaysian officials met on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgement on Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
The foreign ministers of both countries released a joint statement on Friday, saying that a technical sub-committee will be set up to oversee joint survey works, to prepare for eventual talks on maritime issues in and around that area.
They also agreed that if an incident occurs, humanitarian assistance will be provided by either side, as part of a common aim to ensure safety and security in those waters.
The joint committee representing the two countries also agreed that fishermen on both sides will be allowed to continue with their traditional fishing activities there.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to honour and abide by the ICJ's judgement, and fully implement its decisions.
The two delegations were led by the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Rastam Mohd Isa, and Permanent Secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peter Ho.
On May 23, the ICJ awarded sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore, and ownership of Middle Rocks to Malaysia.
The court, however, left the issue of South Ledge open, and said that it should belong to the state in the territorial waters of which it is located. - CNA/ac
Both sides agree on aid to ships, fishing
Singapore, Malaysia to cooperate on safety and security issues in area, conduct joint survey works
Zakir Hussain, Straits Times 7 Jun 08;
SINGAPORE and Malaysia have reached an agreement on the issues of aid to ships in distress, joint survey works and fishing in the seas around Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
This follows last Tuesday's meeting of the Joint Technical Committee that both sides had set up to enforce the recent judgment from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on sovereignty over the three maritime features.
The three features in the Singapore Strait are located some 40km east of the Republic's main island.
Following the ICJ judgment last month, Pedra Branca now belongs to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia.
The two countries have yet to discuss how to delimit their territorial waters in the area.
For now, though, both sides have agreed on the following:
To set up a technical sub-committee to oversee the conduct of joint survey works. That will prepare the way for eventual talks on maritime issues in and around the area.
In the event of an incident in and around the waters of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, either side will provide humanitarian assistance to the affected vessels.
That is in line with their common aim of ensuring safety and security in these waters.
Fishermen on both sides can continue with their current traditional fishing activities in these waters.
The joint press statement from Malaysia's Foreign Minister Rais Yatim and Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo that spelt out these agreements yesterday also reiterated both countries' commitment to 'honour and abide by the ICJ's judgment and fully implement its decision'.
On the latest agreement between Singapore and Malaysia on shipping incidents and fishing, Associate Professor Robert Beckman of the National University of Singapore's law faculty said that it was in the common interest of both states and should help prevent any misunderstanding between the relevant authorities.
'The joint statement indicates that both sides are serious about implementing the decision of the ICJ promptly and in good faith,' he added.
The Joint Technical Committee that met in Singapore last Tuesday is co-chaired by Malaysia's Foreign Ministry secretary-general Rastam Mohd Isa and Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Peter Ho.
Fishermen to get the green light
Joint committee on Pedra Branca agreeson some issues
Loh Chee Kong, Today Online 7 Jun 08;
FISHERMEN can breathe easy. They can continue their livelihoods in the waters off Pedra Branca, which had been described as “a goldmine abundant with marine life”, as Singaporean and Malaysian officials took their first steps toward implementing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling last month.
According to a joint press release issued on Friday by Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo and his Malaysian counterpart Rais Yatim, the joint technical committee — which met here on Tuesday for the first time since the ICJ awarded Pedra Branca to Singapore and Middle Rocks to Malaysia — also agreed that both countries would provide humanitarian assistance to ships in distress in the surrounding waters.
Adding that a technical sub-committee would be set up to “oversee the conduct of joint survey works to prepare for eventual talks on maritime issues in and around Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge”, the statement added that both countries “reiterated their commitment to honour and abide by the ICJ’s Judgment and fully implement its decision”.
Since the ruling on May 23 brought an end to a 29-year-old dispute, Malaysian fishermen had been advised by the Malaysian government to stay away from Pedra Branca as it studies the implications of the ICJ’s decision. Several Malaysian Ministers have also expressed their desire for Singapore to allow the Johorean fishermen, who: have used Pedra Branca for generations for transportation and fishing, to continue their traditional activities.
The committee has now :agreed fishermen “on both sides” would be allowed to do so in the area’s waters.
National University of Singapore’s Associate Professor Robert Beckman felt that the agreements addressed the fundamental issues of jurisdiction over shipping incidents and fishing activities. “It was in the interests of both countries to establish interim arrangements ... to prevent misunderstandings,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Malaysian daily The Star had quoted Mr Rais as saying he had directed his officials to track down a letter written by British governor William Butterworth to the Temenggong and Sultan of Johor, seeking permission to build Horsburgh Lighthouse on the island.
According to Mr Rais, although the ICJ ruling was final, a provision in the court’s rules allowed for a judicial review of a case within 10 years if new evidence was found. Singapore’s Law Minister, Mr K Shanmugam, had said he would be “surprised as to what this new evidence is” .
But Prof Beckman noted: “The joint statement indicates that both sides are serious about implementing the decision of the ICJ promptly and in good faith.”
