Pedra Branca The island of Pedra Branca is a rocky island at the eastern end of the Singapore Straits. It was named Pedra Branca (‘White Rock’) by the Portuguese because of the accumulation of white droppings from the numerous black- naped terns which used it as a resting place during their search for fish near the reef in certain months of the year. It was a hazard to shipping not just because of the reef, but also because the surrounding waters were, at one time, infested by pirates. The British acquired the island and constructed the Horsburgh Lighthouse on it between 1847 and 1851.

Ownership of the island is disputed by Singapore and Malaysia. As recently as 1974, a Malaysian government map still marked the island as belonging to Singapore. This changed in 1979 when a new Malaysian government map designated Pulau Batu Puteh (‘White Rock Island’), as it is known in Malay, as part of Malaysian territory. Singapore immediately protested against this claim. In 1989, Singapore proposed bringing the case to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, to which Malaysia agreed in 1994. The two governments submitted a Special Agreement to the International Court of Justice on 24 July 2003. By mid- 2006, the two sides had completed the exchange of written pleadings and were waiting for the oral hearing.