The Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 was concluded between the British and the Dutch colonial powers without consideration of its effect on the sociopolitical situation of the Malay World (Nusantara). The Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 alienated Malay territories according to the desires of the colonial powers. This article discusses whether the British and the Dutch were in the position to divide the Malay World without the consent of the local sovereign rulers. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 merely defined the sphere of influence, not sovereignty/ownership of the Dutch and the British in the region. This article concludes by emphasising the enormous sociopolitical effects of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 to Nusantara in relation to the maritime boundary delimitations between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are two of the busiest maritime chokepoints in the world. As straits used for international navigation categorized under Article 37 of the Law of the Sea Convention 1982 (LOSC), littoral States of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore possess no rights to deny the exercise of the transit passage regime by foreign vessels plying these Straits. As a result, the marine environment of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore is gradually affected particularly by operational discharges from vessels. This article looks at the possibility of designating the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as a Special Area under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78). This paper concludes by recommending the most appropriate Special Area designation under any of the Annexes of MARPOL 73/78 for the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.