Malaysian Police Advise Public Not to Go near Disputed Island

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, January 04, 2003

Malaysian Police Advise Public Not to Go near Disputed Island

Police in Malaysia's southern state of Johor Friday advised fishermen and others not to go near the Batu Puteh Island, the disputed island over which both Malaysia and Singapore claim sovereignty.

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Police in Malaysia's southern state of Johor Friday advised fishermen and others not to go near the Batu Puteh Island, the disputed island over which both Malaysia and Singapore claim sovereignty.

The police could not guarantee their safety if they go near the island, which is 15 nautical miles from Pengerang in the state, Johor Police Chief Mukhtar Ismail told reporters in Johore Bahru, capital of the state.

"For the time being, I will not encourage members of the public to go near Batu Puteh Island because we cannot guarantee their safety at sea," he said.

Thursday, the Johor police had also advised the Youth in Johor against going to the island.

"If anything untoward happens...it will be difficult for us to act immediately. As such, my advice is to wait until the dispute has been resolved," he said.

Malaysia and Singapore are now locked in a war of words over ownership of the strategically located island off the coasts of both countries, which is currently held by Singapore.

Malaysia maintains it has had sovereignty over Batu Puteh Island since early 16th century, while Singapore says it has exercised sovereign rights on what it calls Pedra Branca since the1840s, when the British colonial government occupied the island and constructed a lighthouse.

It is reported the two neighbors have agreed to refer the question of the island's ownership to the International Court of Justice.

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