Final report on Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge case to be tabled soon

KUALA LUMPUR - The final report to review the laws on the sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, being prepared by the Special Task Force (STF), will be tabled soon.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar in a statement today said the report would be for the consideration of the Cabinet so as to determine the next course of action.

Junaidi, who chaired the Monitoring Committee meeting, said the meeting took note of the interim report which was tabled by the STF yesterday (April 25) and it also gave its input for consideration and improvement.

"So far, the STF has held 12 meetings and which also involved the sub-committees, namely, the Legal Aspects, Tort of Misfeasance and Malaysia-Singapura Relations,” he added.

The STF team was appointed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to review the laws pertaining to the sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge and to propose the best options for the government over the case within a period of six months.

"The government is very committed to this effort in ensuring sovereignty of the country which is a priority,” Junaidi said.

The STF is chaired by former Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, with former Malaysian ambassador to The Hague Datuk Ahmad Nazri Yusof and lawyers Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, Datuk Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu, Datuk Abu Bakar As-Sidek Mohd Sidek and Datuk Tengku Ahmad Fuad Tengku Ahmad Burhanuddin among its members.

The others are the Johor government representative, Datuk Mohammed Ridha Abd Kadir; Datuk Umar Saifuddin Jaafar from the AG’s Chambers; Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia representative, Hamdan Ab. Aziz and the Foreign Ministry’s representative, Shaharudin Onn. - BERNAMA