Rais warns: Don’t “stir a hornet's nest"

Excerpts from

Singapore has been told not to test Malaysia through its claim of an
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Pulau Batu Puteh as such action is tantamount to "stirring a hornet's nest", Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said Saturday.

He said Malaysia would be firm with the island republic and repetition of the EEZ claim by Singapore leaders would only invite problems."If you want to negotiate, lets negotiate.

There is no need to encroach, no need to test the market or our waters," he told reporters after the general meeting of the Senior Citizens Club and a health awareness programme in Kampung Simpang Durian here.

He said he himself was puzzled over Singapore's claim which should not have been made as the technical committee, formed after the International Court of Justice's
decision to award the island to the republic, was still in the midst of resolving outstanding issues.

He said that if Singapore did not accept Malaysia's views and was adamant in claiming territorial waters or an EEZ, Malaysia would not hesitate to take legal action against the island state.Rais, however, believed that Singapore's claim was more of a political statement made by its Senior Minister of StateBalaji Sadasivan. – Full report here

Here’s the report from Malaysiakini

Rais: Jangan 'jolok sarang tebuan'

Singapura diminta supaya tidak menguji Malaysia melalui tuntutan Zon Ekonomi Eksklusif (EEZ) di Batu Puteh kerana tindakan itu umpama "menjolok sarang tebuan", kata Menteri Luar Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

Katanya, Malaysia akan bertegas dengan republik itu dan jika kenyataan tuntutan EEZ itu diulangi lagi oleh pemimpin republik itu, ia hanya akan mengundang masalah.Nak berunding buat cara berunding, tidak payah cabul mencabul, tidak payah "test market" atau uji perairan kita," katanya kepada pemberita di Jelebu hari ini.

Bernama melaporkan Rais berkata beliau sendiri berasa pelik dengan tuntutan Singapura itu yang jelas tidak sepatutnya dikeluarkan semasa pakar-pakar dalam jawatankuasa teknikal kedua-dua negara sedang menyelesaikan isu-isu yang berbaki selepas pulau itu diserahkan oleh Mahkamah Keadilan Antarabangsa (ICJ) kepada republik itu. – Malaysiakini. Full report here

(How come Rais didn’t see this coming? Didn’t he say that the verdict by the ICJ in which we lost Pulau Putih to Singapore was a win-win situation. Malu teramat sangat - when we actually lost sovereignty over the island. )