Batu Puteh RCI not vendetta against Dr M, says Anwar

Batu Puteh RCI not vendetta against Dr M, says Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has insisted that the royal commission of inquiry on the handling of the Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge issue was not intended to target Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Anwar said the special task force set up to review the laws concerning the issue, which ultimately led to the establishment of the RCI, was formed during former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration.

“There is no question of revenge. The task force was set up before I took office, during Ismail’s time as prime minister,” he told reporters after Friday prayers in Putrajaya, Berita Harian reported.

“At the time, the ministers involved in the task force were (home minister) Hamzah (Zainudin) and (law minister) Takiyuddin (Hassan). The task force’s findings were even more severe. So, let’s not play up the revenge narrative.

“This is about territory. Is there any country that would easily give up its territory? That’s not acceptable.”

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Jangan Di Canaikan Sistem Pendidikan Negara

Asked whether Mahathir should face action as recommended in the RCI report, Anwar said the matter should be left to Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to decide.

The RCI’s report was released on the Parliament website last Thursday, although many of its recommendations were redacted.

Among the unredacted recommendations was that the RCI’s secretary file a police report against the former prime minister to make way for a criminal investigation under Sections 415 and 418 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Anwar’s remarks today followed a statement by law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said yesterday that a motion to debate the RCI report in the Dewan Rakyat was not intended to prosecute any individual.

During yesterday’s debate, several opposition MPs described the report as being politically motivated.

DISYORKAN UNTUK ANDA :

Zeti Dan Taufiq Ayman ‘Di Londehkan’ Dalam Mahkamah

Some also questioned the closed-door investigation and alleged that Mahathir was not given a proper opportunity to defend himself.

Putrajaya filed an application on Feb 3, 2017 to review the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision, handed down nine years earlier, to award Singapore sovereignty over Batu Puteh.

The ICJ awarded Middle Rocks to Malaysia, while the ownership of South Ledge, situated about 4km from Batu Puteh, was left for determination based on the delimitation of territorial waters.

On June 30, 2017, Putrajaya filed an application to interpret the ICJ’s judgment to address its ambiguities and implications, particularly regarding the status of South Ledge.

However, upon wresting control of Putrajaya at the general election in May 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government, with Mahathir as prime minister, withdrew both applications before they came up for hearing in June 2018.

The report said Mahathir had likely acted deliberately to influence the Cabinet to discontinue the applications despite the views of international consultants who said they had a reasonable likelihood of success.