The foreign ministry said Kuala Lumpur and Singapore had submitted the joint notifications to the registrar of the ICJ in Hague over their ownership dispute.

The process before the ICJ, which would include the submission of written pleadings and finally oral hearings was expected to take about three years, it said in a statement.

The two Southeast Asian neighbours have conflicting claims to the island, called Batu Putih 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 two neighbours.

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