Malaysia's Genting International gained full control of a 3.4 billion dollar casino project in Singapore after shareholders today approved plans to buy a 25 percent stake of sister firm Star Cruises.

In a statement to the Singapore Exchange where it is listed, Genting said its proposal was "duly passed" at an extraordinary meeting.

Genting has said it would pay 255 million Singapore dollars (168 million US) for the Star Cruises stake which would give it full control of the integrated casino development called Resorts World at Sentosa.

The resort will include a Universal Studios theme park and the world's largest oceanarium, as well as gaming facilities and is set to open in 2010.

Genting and Star Cruises, both part of Malaysian conglomerate Genting Berhad, in December won a bid to build Singapore's second casino to be located on Sentosa island off the city-state's mainland.

But Singapore authorities questioned the consortium after it announced a tie-up which would have given Macau gambling mogul Stanley Ho an indirect stake in the Sentosa project.

Genting pulled out of the partership with Ho. Star Cruises has remained part of the deal with Ho but had to sell its 25 percent stake to Genting to severe any links with the Singapore development.

Construction started last month on the 49-hectare site.

Genting International slipped 0.005 to 0.955, while Star Cruises also fell .005 US cents to 0.275 US dollars on Monday.

Singapore's first casino on the downtown Marina Bay waterfront is being built by Las Vegas Sands.