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View all search resultsPedra Branca: Lost in borderless waters
It is crucial for Malaysia and Singapore to finalize their maritime boundary delimitations first before engaging in land reclamation and development work on both Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks.
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I
n 2008, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decided that Singapore would have sovereignty over Pedra Branca, a small rocky outcropping at the eastern end of Singapore Strait, toward the South China Sea. About 600 meters away lie the Middle Rocks which were awarded to Malaysia. The South Ledge was left unadjudicated by the world court.
Article 3 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allows coastal states to claim a breadth of territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles (approximately 22 kilometers) measured from their baseline.
Recently, Singapore has announced a plan to begin work on Pedra Branca to improve existing facilities, provide berthing for vessels and additional logistical services, administrative support and communications facilities on the island. These are to begin by the end of 2021.
This project includes reclamation work in maritime areas around Pedra Branca, claimed as part of Singapore’s territorial sea. Malaysia and Indonesia also possess maritime entitlements in that area.
As mentioned earlier, Malaysia’s Middle Rocks are located 600 meters away from Pedra Branca. Indonesia’s Bintan Island is located approximately 21 km away from Pedra Branca, which is still within the territorial sea limits claimable by Indonesia as provided by Article 3 of the UNCLOS.
Malaysia and Singapore have yet to resolve their overlapping maritime claims in this region. Based on a report in The Straits Times, talks on finalizing delimitation in areas around Pedra Branca were convened in January 2020, two months before the coronavirus outbreak reached pandemic status.
Considering the ongoing situation, it is crucial for Malaysia and Singapore to finalize their maritime boundary delimitations first before engaging in land reclamation and development work on both Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks, particularly when they are still at sea with their purported territorial limits.
