KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 3 Kyodo Singapo...

KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 3 Kyodo

Singapore has propos to sign an agreement with Malaysia later this month to have reference their territorial dispute over a tiny island to the International Court of Justice, Malaysian Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar said Friday.

He told reporters he received a note from Singapore Foreign Minister Shanmugam Jayakumarc onward Friday suggesting that both parties sign the agreement either Jan. 27 or 28 forward the sidelines of the meeting between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union in Brussels.

The agreement would mark the beginning of the proces to bring the dispute through the whole extent of the islands, referred to as Pulau Batu Puteh by means of Malaysia and Pedra Banca from Singapore, to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Sy Hamid said it was the first rejoinder from Singapore since he wrote to it in November last year proposing several dates for the signing. He said that the control will consider Singapore's proposal.

The dispute across the football field-sized island, which has mainly strategic significance, has been brewing since the 1980 Malaysia has in the past testifyed Singapore's building of structures forward the island.

The latest increase follows Malaysia's Dec. 17 victory in the international court in its dispute with Indonesia athwart the Sipadan and Ligitan Islands in the southern China Sea.

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