Kuala Lumpur - The Singapore Government has been urged to consider that Johoreans, especially fishermen, have been using Pulau Batu Puteh for generations for transportation and fishing.
International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Malaysian Government hoped Singapore would take note of this and not jeopardise the livelihood of the fishermen.
"We hope that Singapore would understand that this matter is very close to our heart, the Johoreans," he told reporters after giving a talk on Umno`s code of ethics to the Federal Territory Umno liaison committee here today.
Muhyiddin was responding to a question on the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday which ruled that the disputed Pulau Batu Puteh belongs to Singapore, while Malaysia owns Middle Rock.
The ICJ ruled that South Ledge belonged to the country in whose territorial waters the outcrop was located in.
Source: www.bernama.com (26 Mei 2008)
