Malaysia drops request for review of island ownership ruling

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Malaysia has dropped its request for a review of a U.N. court’s ruling on the ownership of a small island at the eastern entrance of the Singapore Straits.

The move announced Friday by the International Court of Justice brought an end to its involvement in the long-running dispute over Pedra Branca, known in Malaysia as Batu Puteh, which the court awarded to Singapore in 2008.

The court says Malaysia and Singapore agreed to drop the case, but did not explain why.

The two-acre island hosts a strategic lighthouse that has been a landmark for 150 years.

Malaysia last year sought a review of the 2008 decision, saying newly discovered documents cast it into doubt. Public hearings scheduled for later this month have been cancelled.