Malaysia & Singapore dispute over border sovereignty

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Source: CCTV.com | 11-14-2007 13:59

Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Shanmugam Jayakumar(L) and Singapore Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong arrive in the courtroom of the UN's International Court of Justice in The Hague. (AFP/Maartje Blijdenstein)

Malaysia told the U.N.'s highest court on Tuesday that its neighbor Singapore was seeking to enlarge its sea border by claiming sovereignty over three disputed islands close to key shipping lanes.

The International Court of Justice started hearings last week. Both countries claim sovereignty over a chain of three rocky islets located about 15 kilometers off peninsular Malaysia's southern coast.

Malaysia's Defence Minister Najib Abdul Razak (R) walks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers' meeting in Singapore November 14, REUTERS/Vivek Prakash (SINGAPORE)

Malaysia and Singapore have a history of bickering over issues ranging from water supplies to transport links since Singapore gained sovereignty from Malaysia in 1965.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei