Publisher's Synopsis
This work is a detailed study of the origins of the maritime and territorial disputes of Malaysia. The reason why this Southeast Asian country has been chosen is because Malaysia provides a good example of boundary problems faced by most countries throughout the region. The author, who has lived for more than a decade in Malaysia and has a BA (Hons) in Anthropology, Southeast Asian Studies with Law and a PhD in International Law, first gives a detailed analysis of the country's overlapping maritime claims in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Gulf of Thailand, the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea, followed by a comprehensive examination of Malaysia's territorial disputes with Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, China and Taiwan, including the complex question of ownership over the Spratly Islands. In assessing the present disputes, the historical context has been extensively detailed to demonstrate the longevity and complexity of the legal issues. The work scrutinizes the claims made under prevailing international law principles and examines the present level of dispute resolution.;The main text is divided into two parts. The first examines the maritime claims arising from the publication of a map issued in 1979. The second analyzes five territorial disputes in which Malaysia is involved with its neighbours. The main issues throughout the work include the necessity to analyze the claims in their historical context and details in order to achieve delimitation results that will withstand the test of time even if political and economic circumstances change.;The text includes a chronological list of the main treaties, legislation and related documents concerning the disputes discussed, an extensive bibliography of publications regarding the issues raised and 23 maps, making it a comprehensive reference work on this subject.
