Military

DATE=02/06/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE

NUMBER=2-299280

BYLINE=RUTH YOUNGBLOOD

DATELINE=SINGAPORE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Malaysia and Singapore agreed Thursday to submit a territorial

dispute over a strategic island to the International Court of Justice in

The Hague, ending weeks of verbal bickering. The agreement brings at

least a temporary halt to another irritant in the often-troubled

relations between the two neighboring countries. Ruth Youngblood has the

story.

TEXT: Smiles radiated from the faces of Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed

Hamid Albar and his Singaporean counterpart, Shunmugam Jayakumar, as the

agreement was signed. The two Southeast Asian nations have been

embroiled in a verbal battle since December over who owns the Singapore

Straits islet, known in Singapore as Pedra Branca and in Malaysia as

Pulau Batu Putah.

The signing took place in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya,

outside Kuala Lumpur. The two sides will now have up to 28 months to

submit written arguments and counter-arguments to the World Court in the

Hague, before making oral presentations. The agreement also needs to be

ratified by the parliaments of both countries.

The atmosphere at the signing was in contrast to the recent tension,

with Syed expressing his happiness and Jayakumar noting that both

countries have agreed to resolve the issue amicably. The dispute over

the islet and another long-standing issue, the price of water that

Malaysia sells to Singapore, have recently driven relations into a

tailspin.

The Singapore government had warned the dispute over the islet could

escalate to dangerous levels if tensions were not reduced. Mr. Syed

says Malaysia and Singapore can now both go about their business and

maintain their own positions over the rocky outcrop amid the busy

shipping lanes until the court rules.

Malaysia watchers in Singapore predicted the signing will still not

force Malaysia to stop its incursions into Singapore's claimed waters

off Pedra Branca. Singapore, which maintains a lighthouse on the

island, wants Malaysian naval and marine police vessels to stay away.

While some analysts do not see relations between the two nations

improving any time soon, others view the signing as a step forward. Dr.

K.S. Nathan, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies

in Singapore, said the signing shows ties are sufficiently

institutionalized to weather the difficulties that crop up from time to

time. (Signed)

NEB/HK/RY/BK