The Pulau Pisang Lighthouse (Malay: Rumah Api Pulau Pisang) is a lighthouse located on the highest point of Pulau Pisang, an island in the Strait of Malacca 15 kilometres from Pontian Kechil, Johor, Malaysia.[1][2]
 | |
| Location | Pulau Pisang, Johor, Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 1°28′10″N 103°15′21″E / 1.4694°N 103.2558°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1914  |
| Construction | cast iron (tower) |
| Height | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white |
| Operator | Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Lens | first order Fresnel lens (–Unknown), fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Characteristic | Fl W 10s |
Built in 1914, the lighthouse was constructed as a white 16 metre (52 feet) high circular cast iron tower with one support structure and a single storey keeper's house at the base.[2] As of 2008, its functions remains as an aid for maritime navigation into the western entrance of the Singapore Strait.[1] Due to its isolated location, the lighthouse is only reachable via boat and an access road.[2]
History
editWhile the island where the lighthouse belongs to Johor, the lighthouse is operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).[3] This is due to an agreement signed in 1900 between Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and Sir James Alexander Sweethenham, Governor of the Straits Settlements, stating that the island belonged to Johor, while the British government of Singapore (at the time part of the Straits Settlements) had the rights to the plot of land on which the lighthouse stands and the roadway leading to it.[1][3]
When Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965, Malaysia took over the island while management of the lighthouse remains with Singapore.[4] Since 1974, instructions to the lighthouse keeper is that no ensign is to be flown at the lighthouse.[5]
Since 2002, to maintain sovereignty over the island by Malaysia, lighthouse keepers and maintenance workers from MPA had to clear Malaysia's customs at Kukup in Johor before heading to Pulau Pisang. Before 2002, there was no such requirement.[4]
In 2003, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, S. Jayakumar, acknowledged that sovereignty of Pulau Pisang is with Malaysia and its sovereignty was never disputed. He also maintained that the management of the Pulau Pisang Lighthouse should remain with Singapore.[4][6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c "Pulau Pisang Lighthouse". Lighthouse Explorer Database. Foghorn Publishing. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of West Malaysia South Coast". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- ^ a b Rusli, Mohd; Mohamad, Rahmat; Dremliuga, Roman (31 December 2014). "Pulau Pisang Light: A Nonmalaysian Lighthouse on a Malaysian Island". Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 19: 35–40. doi:10.22452/jati.vol19no1.3.
- ^ a b c Rusli, Mohd Hazmi Mohd (10 July 2019). "Singapore lighthouse on a Malaysian island | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ "CASE CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY OVER PEDRA BRANCA I PULAU BATU PUTEH, MIDDLE ROCKS AND SOUTH LEDGE (MALAYSIA / SINGAPORE)" (PDF). p. 119.
- ^ "BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH MALAYSIA: WATER AND OTHER ISSUES".[permanent dead link]
