Singapore
Singapore’s written observations are a “comprehensive rebuttal” to Malaysia’s application to revise ICJ’s judgment, says MFA.
SINGAPORE: Singapore has filed its written observations on the admissibility of Malaysia’s application to revise the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s judgment in the case concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (May 25) in a media release.
“Singapore’s written observations are a comprehensive rebuttal to Malaysia’s application. Singapore is confident of our case and our legal team. The next step is for the Parties to present their oral arguments after the ICJ has fixed the schedule for the oral proceedings,” MFA said.
Singapore had said in March that it was confident of its case against Malaysia’s claim over Pedra Branca, as they do not satisfy the criteria laid out for a revision of judgment. Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament on Mar 2 that Singapore will submit its rebuttal to Malaysia’s application by Jun 14.
In 2003, Singapore and Malaysia had agreed to submit the case concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge to the ICJ. The ICJ ruled in 2008 that Singapore had sovereignty over Pedra Branca, while Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia and South Ledge belonged to the state in whose territorial waters it is located.
On Feb 2, Malaysia applied to revise the judgment, claiming to have found “a new fact” unearthed from three documents discovered in the National Archives of the United Kingdom between Aug 4, 2016 and Jan 30, 2017.
