Dr. Mahathir Accused of Dodging Batu Puteh Inquiry by Puad Zarkashi: "Dr. Mahathir is scared of his own shadow"

Dr. Mahathir Accused of Dodging Batu Puteh Inquiry by Puad Zarkashi: "Dr. Mahathir is scared of his own shadow"

3 Mar 2024 • 7:30 PM MYT



Image Credit: Focus Malaysia


Datuk Dr. Puad Zarkashi, a member of the Umno supreme council, has criticized Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, accusing him of avoiding participation in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge by making excuses. Puad claimed that Dr. Mahathir had no authority to question the appointment of former chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif as the head of the RCI, citing it as a conflict of interest.


Puad expressed his views on social media, stating, "Dr. Mahathir is scared of his own shadow. What is his qualification to talk about conflict of interest? His objection should not be entertained. The rakyat wants to know why he withdrew two review applications against the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) rulings that Singapore had sovereignty over Batu Puteh."


Puad also suggested that Dr. Mahathir was aware of the severity of losing territory and implied that this action would not be forgiven for generations to come.


Dr. Mahathir's lawyer, Rafique Rashid, had previously objected to the appointment of Md. Raus, alleging a conflict of interest. Rafique argued that the appointment was a "gross violation of natural justice" as the retired judge was considered an interested party in the matter.


The RCI was established with the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, and comprises seven members, including Md. Raus as chairman and former Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zainun Ali as the deputy chairman. Other members include legal practitioner Datuk Dr. Baljit Singh Sidhu, former dean of Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Law Dr. Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin, constitutional law and administrative law expert Datin Dr. Faridah Jalil, Johor state financial officer Datuk Mohammed Ridha Abd Kadir, and director of the Marine Department Southern Region, Dickson Dollah.


Last October, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had suggested that the issue of Batu Puteh could be resolved through the direct involvement of the Attorneys General of Malaysia and Singapore.


The controversy surrounding Dr. Mahathir's alleged avoidance of the RCI has sparked debate and raised questions about his motives and the handling of the Batu Puteh issue during his tenure.