Police in southern Johor state bordering Singapore warned the public and the youth wing of the ruling United Malays National Organisationagainst carrying out plans to go to the disputed Batu Puteh islet.

"For the time being, I will not encourage members of the public to go near the Batu Puteh because we cannot guarantee their safety at sea," police chief Mukhtar Ismail was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Malaysia maintains it has had sovereignty since the early 16th century over the islet but Singapore says it has exercised sovereign rights over what it calls Pedra Branca since the 1840s when the British colonial government occupied the islet and constructed a lighthouse.

The two countries have agreed to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Friday he had received a letter from Singapore suggesting the formal signing of such an accord on the sidelines of the summit in Brussels on January 27 or 28 between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union.

Syed Hamid told reporters he had not decided whether to accept because he might not attend the summit and there was in any case no need to go all the way to Brussels to sign the agreement, which could be done anytime.

"I just received the letter. I want to see the significance of it suddenly coming and being signed on the margins of the ASEAN-EU meeting."

He added that it would take three years from the date of signing for the final hearing of the case by the ICJ.

Syed Hamid said Thursday that Malaysia had sent a letter of protest to the Singapore government over its refusal to cease activities on the islet until the dispute was resolved.

"We have been sending official protests to the Singaporean government from time to time, and it will be an ongoing exercise if Singapore continues to carry out activities on the island."

The islet should remain a "free zone" until a ruling by the ICJ, he said, adding that Malaysian authorities would be stationed near the area to monitor the island.

On Friday he added: "Malaysia has a right to do surveillance in the area because we consider it as our water. We hope when we do that Singapore will not interfere with our rights."

The rival claims over the strategically located islet near the mouth of the Singapore Strait is one of several issues straining bilateral ties between the Southeast Asian neighbours.

Both are also in dispute over water that Malaysia supplies to the resource-starved city-state and the use by Singapore jet fighters of Malaysian air space.

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