KUALA LUMPUR – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has lashed out at three former members of his 2018 cabinet, questioning their collective responsibility over the decision to withdraw Malaysia’s appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Batu Puteh sovereignty issue.
In a strongly worded statement issued by lawyer Rafique Rashid on behalf of the former Langkawi MP, Mahathir accused Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, and Anthony Loke of failing to fulfil their duties during his administration and of shifting blame to him after years of silence.
Mahathir questioned the trio’s recent claim that they were not involved in the decision-making process, asserting that cabinet members are obligated to provide input during discussions.
“Do they need me to explicitly instruct them to provide their opinions or views before they would do so?” he asked.
“If my views on the issue were wrong or they disagreed, would they not oppose or offer their opinions because I was merely informing them?”
He stressed that any matter raised in cabinet requires attention and engagement from all members, adding, “Does informing them act as a barrier to any debate, the expression of opinions, or even agreement or disagreement?
“If they choose to remain silent or express no disagreement, it is taken as agreement with what was informed or presented.”
In their joint statement, Wan Azizah, Mohamad Sabu, and Loke claimed Mahathir had unilaterally made the decision in writing on May 21, 2018, two days before a cabinet meeting where the issue was merely “notified” or informed under “other matters.”
They argued there was no substantive discussion or opportunity for objections and called for Mahathir to take full responsibility.
“The cabinet was informed of this decision only on the morning of May 23, which undermines the collaborative decision-making process.”
Mahathir rejected these assertions, pointing out that the cabinet, including the trio, had recorded their agreement during the meeting.
“It is baffling that since 2018 they have remained silent, yet as soon as I disclosed the actual facts, they all avoided and shifted away from taking responsibility,” he said.
“They want me to take responsibility for this issue. It is not a question of whether I take responsibility…the question is whether they want to assume collective responsibility as members of the cabinet.”
“Do they not understand that any matter raised, informed, or presented requires each member to pay attention and, if they have any views, they should express them during the meeting?”
The controversy stemmed from Malaysia’s loss of Batu Puteh to Singapore after withdrawing its appeal to the ICJ. A declassified Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report alleged that Mahathir’s actions led to the permanent loss of sovereignty over the island and recommended criminal investigations against him for allegedly deceiving the government.
Mahathir, however, maintained that his decision was based on expert advice, including input from five senior UK lawyers, who believed Malaysia’s case was weak. He reiterated that the cabinet had approved the decision and challenged the claim that the matter was only “notified” after being finalised.
“If I’m treacherous, then the whole cabinet, including my deputy prime minister (Wan Azizah), was also treacherous,” he said during a press conference earlier this week. “She was sitting next to me during the cabinet meeting then, but she didn’t say anything.”
Mahathir also criticised the RCI findings as politically motivated, describing the move as an attempt to neutralise him. – December 12, 2024
