Syed Hamid and his Singaporean counterpart Shunmugam Jayakumar will sign the agreement at the foreign ministry in Malaysia's administrative capital of Putrajaya, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The setting of a date has put an end to a squabble over the venue and timing of the signing to seek arbitration over the two countries' conflicting claims to the island, called Batu Puteh by Malaysia and Pedra Branca by Singapore.

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

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

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