Malaysian naval ships will continue patrolling waters surrounding the disputed Batu Puteh island despite complaints from Singapore, Defence Minister Najib Razak said today.

"We have a right to continue the patrols and these patrols conducted by Malaysia are not something new but have been going o­n since 1964," he told the official Bernama news agency.

Najib was reacting to accusations by Singaporean Defence Minister Tony Tan that Malaysian vessels had recently intruded repeatedly into territorial waters around the island, known to Singapore as Pedra Branca.

Najib said Malaysia had no intention of causing tension through the patrols.

"The patrols that we have conducted and will conduct are non-aggressive in that, for example, we don't show our cannons, missiles or radar," he said.