Batu Puteh: Leave it to AG, says Anwar over report on Dr M

Batu Puteh: Leave it to AG, says Anwar over report on Dr M


Published: Dec 13, 2024 6:46 PM


Summary:

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he will leave it to the attorney-general to decide whether to prosecute Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
• He also points out the special task force on Batu Puteh was formed under Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s premiership.
• The PM also dismissed the notion that it was about political revenge.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would leave it to the attorney-general to decide whether to prosecute Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the Batu Puteh Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report.

“I’m not suggesting anything. Let’s leave it to the attorney-general,” he said after attending Friday prayers today.

The RCI on Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah, and Tubir Selatan declassified on Dec 5 has recommended a criminal investigation be launched against Mahathir.

It accused the former prime minister of deceiving the cabinet in 2018 into withdrawing Malaysia’s review of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision to award sovereignty over Batu Puteh to Singapore.

Anwar also dismissed claims by the opposition that the government was targeting the 99-year-old.

The Tambun MP pointed out that the initial special task force formed to investigate the matter was established during the premiership of Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“The special task force was (formed) before me. At the time, Ismail Sabri was the prime minister - with (Larut MP) Hamzah (Zainudin) and (Kota Bharu MP) Takiyuddin (Hassan) as his ministers.

“And their findings were even worse,” he added.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad

On that note, Anwar stressed that the issue had nothing to do with political revenge but territorial sovereignty.

“This is about our territory. Can we just give it up like that? We can’t… that’s the principle,” he said.