CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VIII (1) ContemporaryEurasia81 | Page 81

YULONG DAI
National Organization (UMNO) political leader who was also an officer of
Johor State claimed that Pedra Branca belongs to Malaysia. 14
It is obvious that Singapore’s persistence in adopting the strategy of
peaceful contact and negotiation changed Malaysia’s attitude eventually.
However, it is possible that Malaysia would not have responded actively or
initiated a peaceful resolution to the dispute with Singapore if the latter took
action during this period that was recognized as unfriendly by the former.
Furthermore, the process of bilateral negotiation would not be taken so
seriously with the interference of violent events such as conflicts if any of
the claimants, especially Singapore that de facto controlled Pedra Branca
adopted radical policies towards the dispute. In fact, both Singapore and
Malaysia remained restrained and behaved peacefully even during the
process of settling maritime demarcation in this region after the 2008
judgment.
It is of great importance that Singapore proactively adopted a peaceful
way of settling the dispute. This behavior is rooted in Singapore’s deep
dependence on Malaysia. For Singapore, this is a well-calculated strategy to
successfully prevent Malaysia’s potential unfriendly actions against it.
Specifically, there are three reasons quoad hoc. Firstly, Singapore’s
prosperity benefited from a peaceful regional environment. As a small city-
state, Singapore was unwilling to face threats from an unfriendly Malaysia
that has more population, land and resources. Territorial disputes might
generate conflicts, which would lead to an economic recession that
Singapore would not able to bear. In order to ensure its security, Singapore
had to prudently consider its policies relating to Malaysia and the latter’s
possible reactions regarding the dispute. Secondly, Singapore relies on
Malaysia’s support in many economic sectors. The latter provides resources
such as fresh water, electricity, construction soil, as well as human labor to
Singapore. Besides, there is a considerable amount of Singaporean citizens’
relatives living in Malaysia. These economic and social links limited
Singapore’s policy options against Malaysia. Thirdly, as the de facto
sovereign of Pedra Branca, Singapore was in favor of long-term peaceful
conduct on this island without Malaysia’s protest. Moreover, the key
evidence that Johor recognized Singapore’s ownership over Pedra Branca in
1953 strongly supported Singapore’s claim. Based on the evidence,
Singapore was confident in competing for sovereignty over Pedra Branca
through either bilateral negotiations or international arbitration.
Claim expansion
Singapore’s attempt of expanding its claim to Middle Rocks and
14
See Memorial of Singapore, Singapore Online Archive, “MFA Press Statement Regarding
the Important UMNO Political Leaders in Johor Claiming that Pedra Branca Belongs to the
State of Johor”, 36, http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/552-1991-09-16.pdf
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