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Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia on Friday claimed ownership of a second islet, South Ledge, hours after a World Court left open the question of its sovereignty in a ruling on a territorial dispute with Singapore.
The UN's highest court had ruled that Singapore owns a rocky outcrop the city-state called Pedra Branca, which lies on a strategic shipping route where the Singapore Strait meets the South China Sea.
The International Court of Justice also ruled that Malaysia has sovereignty of the Middle Rocks, but a third, called South Ledge, belongs to the state in whose territorial waters it is located.
"Since South Ledge is within the territorial waters of Middle Rocks, Malaysia appears to be the sovereign holder," Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement. "South Ledge is meanwhile now in Malaysian territorial waters."
Pedra Branca, which Malaysia calls Pulau Batu Puteh, houses a Singapore-run lighthouse that provides key navigation for ships that pass the Singapore, the world's busiest container port.
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