Malaysia To Safeguard Sovereignty Over Layang-Layang Atoll

Semporna (Sabah)- Malaysia will safeguard its sovereignty over the Layang-Layang atoll located off Sabah because it does not want a repeat of its "loss" of the Batu Puteh rock off Johor, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday.

"If we want oil or other products from the earth, we have to safeguard the sovereignty of this island," he said at a dinner in conjunction with the visit of senior media editors to Pulau Layang-Layang, located in the South China Sea about 300 km northwest of Kota Kinabalu.

Najib, who is also the defence minister, said the visit was necessary to help create awareness in the people on the sovereignty of the nation.

He also said that the stationing of strategic assets such as combat aircraft and warships as well as a Royal Malaysian Navy base to protect the island were a form of assurance for the country.

"We have warships, combat aircraft ... so people will be apprehensive about undermining the sovereignty of our nation," he said.

Pulau Layang-Layang is located near the Spratly Islands, a group of about 600 islands and atolls claimed by several countries.

The atoll is home to thousands of migratory birds and has developed into a bird watchers` haven as well as a divers` paradise.

In May, the International Court of Justice handed sovereignty over Batu Puteh, located off Johor, to Singapore and granted ownership of Middle Rocks to Malaysia while ruling that South Ledge belongs to the state in whose territorial waters it is located.

Source: www.bernama.com (August 12, 2008)
Credit Photo: www.layanglayang.com

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