PUTRAJAYA has discontinued its application to overturn the International Court of Justice’s 2008 judgment awarding Pedra Branca to Singapore.
The decision was conveyed to Singapore by the Malaysian solicitor-general, who had written to inform Singapore’s attorney-general of Malaysia’s intention to discontinue the proceedings.
“Malaysia informed the ICJ on May 28, 2018, that it would discontinue the proceedings that it had initiated earlier. Singapore informed the ICJ on May 29, 2018, that it agreed with Malaysia’s request for discontinuance,” Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement today issued by its High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
It said the ICJ had informed Singapore of the discontinuance of proceedings in the two cases brought by Malaysia against Singapore relating to the ICJ’s original judgment on May 23, 2008, in the case concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
The first case was Malaysia’s application for revision of the ICJ’s original judgment pursuant to Article 61 of the Statute of the ICJ, filed on February 2, last year.
The second case was Malaysia’s request for interpretation of the ICJ’s original judgment pursuant to Article 60 of the Statute of the ICJ, filed on June 30, last year.
In letters dated May 29, the statement said the ICJ informed Singapore that the court had placed on record the discontinuance, by agreement of the parties, of the proceedings instituted on February 2, last year, and June 30, last year, by Malaysia against Singapore, and directed that the cases be removed from the court’s list.
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishan said when Malaysia requested to discontinue the cases without argument, they were happy to accept the request.
“Both Malaysia and Singapore had gone through the due legal process and put this matter to rest,” he was quoted as saying. – May 30, 2018.
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