evidence: Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated on Wednesday that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) will commence on the alleged mishandling of sovereignty disputes in Pedra Branca by the former administration after the Malaysian King appoints the RCI’s members. In 2003, Malaysia and Singapore agreed to the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) jurisdiction to determine whether Malaysia or Singapore enjoys sovereignty over three groups of islets in the South China Sea, namely Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. In 2008, the ICJ concluded that Pedra Branca belongs to Singapore, Middle Rocks belongs to Malaysia and South Ledge belongs to the State in the territorial waters of which it is located. The court reasoned that even though Malaysia had a valid original title to Pedra Branca, Malaysian authorities demonstrated no intention to claim ownership of the island from the British colonial government in 1953. Subsequently, Singapore’s investigating shipwrecks within the island’s territorial waters and Malaysian authorities’ requesting Singapore’s permission to survey the waters surrounding the island may be seen as conduct à titre de souverain (conduct as a sovereign), and therefore constituted a transfer of sovereignty.