Batu Putih: Pemuda BN hantar nota bantahan

Oleh: Rohani Mohd. Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR 24 Dis. - Pemuda Barisan Nasional (BN) hari ini menghantar nota bantahan kepada Singapura mendesak republik itu berundur dari Pulau Batu Putih dengan serta-merta sehingga Mahkamah Keadilan Antarabangsa (ICJ) memutuskan mengenai pemilikan pulau berkenaan.

Memorandum itu juga mendesak republik berkenaan menghentikan aktiviti pembinaan di pulau berkenaan.

Ia dihantar ke pejabat Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Singapura di sini oleh Timbalan Pengerusi Pemuda BN yang juga Naib Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, Setiausaha Agung Pemuda MCA, Liow Tiong Lai dan Exco Pemuda Gerakan, Lau Yeng Peng.

Turut mengiringi sayap kanan BN itu ialah Pengerusi Biro Antarabangsa Pemuda UMNO, Dr. Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman dan Exco Pemuda UMNO, Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh.

Setiausaha Satu pejabat itu Marc Neo menerima memorandum tersebut.

Shamsul Anwar berkata, tindakan Singapura melakukan kerja pembinaan di Pulau Batu Putih dilihat sebagai mengenepikan semangat ASEAN dan hubungan dua hala di antara Malaysia dan republik tersebut.

``Oleh itu Pemuda BN mendesak supaya Singapura menetapkan tarikh untuk membawa isu tuntutan Pulau Batu Putih ke ICJ,'' katanya kepada pemberita ketika ditemui di luar pejabat pesuruhjaya berkenaan.

Ditanya mengenai pertemuan singkat mereka dengan pegawai di pesuruhjaya terbabit, Shamsul Anwar berkata, mereka diberi jaminan yang Singapura akan menetapkan tarikh berkenaan tidak lama lagi.

Abdul Aziz pula berkata, tindakan Singapura membina bangunan di Pulau Batu Putih dan meletakkan peronda marin merupakan satu penghinaan kepada rakyat Malaysia.

``Sebagai pemimpin muda yang merasakan bahawa negara ini telah dimerdekakan oleh orang tua kita, tanggungjawab kita sebagai anak muda adalah untuk memastikan bahawa setiap tanah milik kita tidak boleh diambil oleh sesiapa sahaja.

``Apa saja tindakan mana-mana pihak untuk mengganggu-gugat kedaulatan kita adalah merupakan satu tindakan yang melampau dan kita akan menggesa kerajaan supaya mengambil tindakan yang sepatutnya,'' katanya.

Singapura menerima kecaman daripada pelbagai pihak apabila Mingguan Malaysia mendedahkan tindakan republik tersebut mendirikan bangunan dua tingkat dan tapak pendaratan helikopter di pulau berkenaan.

Tindakan tersebut dilihat sebagai amat kontroversi kerana status pemilikan Pulau Batu Putih masih belum diputuskan secara rasmi - Utusan Malaysia

BN Youth sends protest note to Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR Dec 24 - Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth today handed a memorandum of protest to the Singapore High Commission over the republic's continued development works on Pulau Batu Puteh which is jointly claimed by Malaysia.

The memorandum was handed over to First Secretary of the Singapore High Commission Mark Yeo by BN Youth deputy head Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, who is also vice-head of the UMNO Youth movement.

Also present were UMNO Youth international bureau chairman Dr Shamsul Anwar Sulaiman, UMNO Youth treasurer Wan Khairil Anuwar, MCA Youth secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan international bureau chairman Lau Yeng Peng.

During the meeting lasting about 20 minutes, BN Youth demanded that Singapore stop all construction works immediately and vacate the island which is still being disputed.

Speaking to reporters later, Dr Shamsul said BN Youth had asked the Singapore government to agree to sign an agreement to take the matter to the ICJ (International Court of Justice).

He said the movement also asked Singapore to cease whatever activities related to fishing and the environment.

Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz said Singapore's move to construct buildings on Pulau Batu Putih and deploy marin patrol boats there had humiliated the Malaysians.

"As young leaders who feel that the country had been freed by our parents, our responsibility is to ensure that every piece of land that belong to us is not be taken away by anyone else.

"Any action by anyone that threatens our sovereignty represents an act of extremism and we urge the government to take appropriate action," he said.

The overlapping claims on Pulau Batu Puteh arose when Singapore began to dispute Malaysia's sovereignty over the island in 1980, 25 years after it separated from Malaysia and so far it had yet to be resolved through diplomatic channels.

Meanwhile in SHAH ALAM, Puteri UMNO head Azalina Othman Said said Singapore tried to use provocation in many issues that concerned Malaysia although they could be solved through diplomatic channels.

She said that the island republic was seen to use provocation on the issue of water supply which had yet to be resolved and the overlapping claim on Pulau Batu Puteh.

"It appears that many provocations are being made on Malaysia although they (the issues) can be resolved diplomatically," she told reporters after leading a delegation from the movement for an audience with the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at Istana Bukit Kayangan.

Azalina said the element of provocation on the Pulau Batu Puteh issue should not have arisen as it was decided that the overlapping claim to be taken to ICJ.

Puteri UMNO, which held its Exco meeting today, would propose the form of action that could be taken by the movement in facing the issue, she added - Utusan Malaysia