THE JUDGMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE LAW OF THE SEA (ITLOS) ON THE ISSUE OF SINGAPORE'S LAND RECLAMATION

Land reclamation is a technique that refers to sand dredging in a given location and the sand is then placed at another location by the shores to elevate the seabed surface level until it becomes a new landscape. Among the countries that actively embark into land reclamation activities in the Southeast Asia region is Singapore. This is because, Singapore is one of the countries which experience land insufficiency and have a limited coastal area. Analysis of this study has focused on Singapore's land reclamation proceeding at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which involved her nearest neighbour Malaysia. The collection of primary data was done through direct site observation, and through several interviews. Meanwhile, the collection of secondary materials was done using the library study method in relevant premises. The Group of Experts (GOE) studies has found that, the land reclamation activities in Tuas and Tekong Island had caused the negative impacts such as Malaysian coastal water pollution, and narrowing the sea lanes at the Straits of Johore. On 26th April 2005, both governments had signed an official declaration to end the conflict in this matter. Since the dispute of Point 20 was not discussed in the proceeding, both parties had agreed to pursue the issue in another diplomatic discussion soon.