December 12, 2024
PETALING JAYA – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad acted unilaterally on the Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah and Tubir Selatan sovereignty issue, according to three former ministers who were in the Cabinet in 2018.
In a joint statement, former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, former defence minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and then transport minister Anthony Loke said Dr Mahathir decided on May 21, 2018 not to pursue the claim for Batu Puteh in a written statement to the Solicitor General without referring to the Cabinet.
Mohamad is currently Agriculture and Food Security Minister while Loke still holds the Transport portfolio.
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“The matter was also (conveyed) to Singapore before the first Cabinet meeting on May 23, 2018.
The Cabinet was only informed of the decision two days after it was made and we… stress here that we were only informed under ‘other matters’…. (It was) not a discussion to make a decision,” the trio said on Thursday (Dec 12).
As such, they said the issue of supporting or rejecting the matter does not arise as the window of opportunity was lost when Dr Mahathir issued a written statement.
“We are of the opinion that Dr Mahathir should take full responsibility for the decision, rather than place it on the shoulders of people who were not involved.
“We are confident the (other) Cabinet ministers at the meeting on May 23 can (attest) to this,” they added.
On Tuesday (Dec 10), Dr Mahathir said the decision not to pursue the sovereignty claim over Batu Puteh was made with the full agreement of the Cabinet in 2018.
He denied the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) which said he was responsible for Malaysia losing Batu Puteh to Singapore.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said after the RCI report was tabled in Parliament that elements of treachery were found in the handling of sovereignty issues involving Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.