KUALA LUMPUR – Former two-time prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has lashed out at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remark accusing him of committing treachery by withdrawing Malaysia’s appeal over its claim for Batu Puteh.
Mahathir reiterated his argument that the decision to withdraw the appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was a move made in 2018 after approval granted by the cabinet, which then included Anwar’s wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Highlighting that his cabinet from May 2018 to February 2020 featured several ministers who are now part of the government, Mahathir alleged that the report produced by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge was aimed at tarnishing his image and reputation.
“The decision was actually made by the cabinet (after) proper processes were gone through. If I’m treacherous, then the whole cabinet, including my deputy prime minister (Wan Azizah), was also treacherous,” Mahathir told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
“(Wan Azizah) was sitting next to me (during the cabinet meeting then), but she didn’t say anything, nor was she called by the RCI to give evidence.
“It seems that they (RCI) pick and choose the people they want to question so that they can get the results they want,” the nonagenarian added.
He added that cabinet members then had every opportunity to reject his proposal on withdrawing the ICJ appeal.
He also agreed to a reporter’s question that the accusations in the RCI report against him were “politically motivated, adding: “The whole idea is to destroy me (by) calling me treacherous and all that.
“We all know my stand against Singapore. I have been very strong on the relationship between Malaysia and Singapore (where) Malaysia does not give in to Singapore.
“It’s apparent that the RCI was set up to pinpoint me as a culprit (while) others involved (in the decision) were not taken into consideration.
“The whole cabinet was there when I brought up the matter, any one of them could have opposed my proposal, but they didn’t say anything then,” he added, listing down several other then-cabinet ministers including former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and former home minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The RCI report, which was declassified and made public on Dec 5, is expected to be debated in Parliament this week, a move Mahathir claimed was to “neutralise” him politically.
The RCI was chaired by former chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif, whom Mahathir sought to recuse from the panel, citing previous conflict of interest when he was prime minister.
The RCI concluded, among others, that Mahathir’s actions had caused Malaysia to lose Batu Puteh permanently, with no avenue for appeal.
The commission also proposed initiating criminal investigation proceedings against Mahathir for deceiving the government into surrendering Malaysia’s claim over the island to Singapore.
The RCI also noted that while the cabinet then had later endorsed the appeal withdrawal, its members had supposedly not been supplied with legal opinions by international consultants, pleadings, executive summary of the pleadings and other information during the meeting.
The report detailed that Mahathir had on May 21, 2018 written to the solicitor-general stating that efforts for the ICJ appeal application need not be continued.
Two days later, Singapore was informed of the decision at 9am, while the Malaysian cabinet only met later that day and discussed the issue under “other matters”, the RCI said in its report.
Mahathir also said that he is prepared to face criminal investigations if they are commenced against him, adding: “They are welcome to do that. I have been very careful about my behaviour throughout the 22 years I was prime minister.”
Also present at the press conference was Mahathir’s lawyer Zainur Zakaria, who said that a criminal investigation into the 99-year-old will provide an opportunity to “vindicate” Mahathir while ascertaining the “truth of the whole matter”.
The lawyer also took issue with the high number of redacted pages in the declassified RCI report, claiming that the inquiry was conducted in a manner “shrouded in secrecy behind closed doors”.
“The recommendations by the RCI for criminal investigations (into Mahathir) are intended to intimidate, harass and embarrass him. We strongly believe that it will be very difficult for them to proceed with any criminal investigation.
“As far as we’re concerned, this report is not worth the paper it’s printed on. We reject it,” he added.
In June, Mahathir denied acting unilaterally when making the decision not to proceed with an application to the ICJ for a review of its decision awarding sovereignty over Batu Puteh to Singapore.
He said he had consulted several experts, including five senior lawyers from the UK, who took the view that Malaysia had a weak case. – December 10, 2024
