KUALA LUMPUR ? (UPDATE) A Philippine court?s decision to halt the signing of a land deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been a viewed as a temporary setback by representatives of the Philippine and Malaysian governments here.

The pact was meant to pave the way for a final political settlement to end the MILF's 30-year fight for an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Romulo, who had flown to the Malaysian capital for the planned signing, admitted the Supreme Court's decision Monday was disappointing but said he was confident the deal did not contravene the Constitution.

Romulo?s statement was echoed by his Malaysian counterpart, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim.

Both are confident however that the delay won?t be long.

"This temporary delay has disappointed all of us and at the Supreme Court we will present our case why we should continue with the signing of the memorandum agreement for ancestral domain, which is within the law," Romulo said.

Asked whether the Supreme Court deliberations would be lengthy, Romulo said he expected the court to handle the case with "the importance and urgency that it deserves."

"We are confident eventually we should be able to return and have this memorandum on ancestral domain signed," he told a joint press conference with Yatim.

?We don?t look at it as something perpetual. The disappointment is felt not only by the MILF, RP government and friends of RP, but also here in Kuala Lumpur,? said Yatim.

But at the same time, Yatim pledged Kuala Lumpur?s continued support for the peace process and was hopeful that this development would not lead to any outbreak of violence in the Philippines.

"What should simmer in our minds is for peace and tranquility to exist. There ought not to be violence in any instance," Yatim said.

The planned agreement had sparked massive street protests in the country's south amid fears that non-Muslim areas could be covered and would give MILF control over large swathes of lands in southern Mindanao island.

The agreement would give MILF powers over an autonomous area that would have its own legal, banking and education systems, civil service and internal security force, and had been seen as paving the way for a formal peace deal.

Malaysia, which has hosted peace talks between the government and the MILF reversed Monday its decision to withdraw troops from the southern Philippines, where they are monitoring a ceasefire between the government and MILF.