Batu Puteh: Your wife was involved in the decision too, Mahathir tells Anwar
Anwar recently described the Batu Puteh matter as an issue of treachery and Mahathir asked why didn’t Wan Azizah (then deputy minister) say anything about this ‘treachery’ between May 2018 and Feb 2020?
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has hit back at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for saying the former had committed treachery by withdrawing Malaysia’s appeal over its claim for Batu Puteh.
He told a press conference this morning that the decision was made by the cabinet in 2018, which included then deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Anwar’s wife.
“The PM recently described this matter as an issue of treachery.
“If so, why didn’t Wan Azizah say anything about this ‘treachery’ between May 2018 and Feb 2020?
“Wasn’t Wan Azizah my deputy prime minister then, and also the wife of the current PM?” Mahathir said.
He also read out the full list of his cabinet members, whom he said were involved in the decision and should have been called as witnesses in the recently concluded Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the sovereignty issue of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and Southern Ledge.
“I want to point out that the decision was actually made by the cabinet. The whole process was gone through.
“And if I’m treacherous, then the whole cabinet including my DPM was also treacherous,” Mahathir added.
Honouring promises
According to the former Langkawi MP, the decision to withdraw the appeal against the International Court of Justice decision - which awarded Batu Puteh to Singapore - was made to honour Malaysia’s undertaking to respect ICJ’s decision in the case whatever it may be.
Mahathir stressed that it was wrong for Malaysia to appeal the ICJ decision in the first place, and experts on international laws had advised the government then that an appeal could adversely affect the country.
This includes losing the trust of other countries for reneging on its promise to respect the court’s decision.
The former PM pointed out that ICJ had also made decisions that favoured Malaysia in other cases, and other countries involved in the dispute had honoured their promise to respect its ruling.
Among them was the decision to award Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Ligitan in Sabah to Malaysia.
“And Indonesia did not protest. Of course, they lost two very beautiful islands, but they didn’t protest.
“It is wrong for us to protest (in Batu Puteh case).”
Adding further, Mahathir said while ICJ awarded Batu Puteh to Singapore, the court had given Malaysia the rights to Middle Rocks, which he said has more potential commercial value.
‘Singapore has strong case’
On top of this, the former PM pointed out that Singapore also had a strong point in its case over Batu Puteh, otherwise known as Pedra Branca.
He said Batu Puteh had been administered by Singapore since the British era.
“One time, the British asked Johor if they owned Pedra Branca, and Johor replied they had no interest in that.
“This was one of the strongest points in giving Pedra Branca to Singapore because the Johor government actually said they don’t claim Pedra Branca,” Mahathir said.
In his press conference, Mahathir expressed his belief that the RCI held was politically motivated and aimed at destroying him. - MalaysiaKini
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