KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat was told that the government is not at this time taking legal action to reclaim Pulau Batu Puteh.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the government, however, is in negotiations with Singapore on the delimitation of Batu Puteh's maritime boundaries.
The negotiation, she said, is being conducted through an expedited negotiation mechanism within a 12-month period as per instruction of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"The negotiation is being conducted through the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Technical Committee (MSJTC) and Committee for Boundary Delimitation Established Pursuant to the Agreement between the Foreign Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore on March 14, 2019 (CBD) platforms as well as the MSJTC and CBD subcommittee meetings," she said in a written reply, which was published on the Parliament's official website last night.
Azalina was responding to a question by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin (Larut - Perikatan Nasional) who asked what are the actions being taken by the government to reclaim its rights on Pulau Batu Puteh and ensuring the country's sovereignty on the South Ledge.
"In this matter, both parties, namely the Malaysian and Singaporean governments, have agreed to the content of the negotiations, including decisions and negotiation notes, which is classified as confidential and cannot be disclosed to third parties without the written consent from both parties," she said.