PUTRAJAYA: The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the handling of sovereignty issues involving Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah and Tubir Selatan has revealed treachery committed against the country, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The RCI revealed weaknesses, and from a certain angle, a treachery was committed because we should have fought till the end for every inch of land.
“This is not a light matter, whereby any offence in relation to surrendering our sovereignty is deemed as a major treachery against the country.
“But, the legal process must be respected, and we will follow that,” said Anwar to reporters after performing Friday prayers in Putrajaya on Dec 6.
The RCI on the handling of sovereignty issues involving Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah and Tubir Selatan has proposed that a criminal investigation should be brought against former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In a highly redacted and declassified report tabled in Parliament on Thursday (Dec 5), the RCI report recommended that investigations over offences of cheating under Sections 415(b), 417, and 418 of the Penal Code, that resulted in the loss of Batu Puteh.
It also recommended that the RCI secretary lodge a police report to initiate the probe.
The RCI report will be tabled and debated in the current Dewan Rakyat meeting that ends on Dec 12.
In February, the government announced that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had consented to the establishment of the RCI.
The issue stems from a decision made by the government in 2018 to withdraw Malaysia’s application to review the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision on the sovereignty of Batu Puteh.
At the time, the government was led by Dr Mahathir.
In 2008, the ICJ ruled that Batu Puteh belonged to Singapore while Batuan Tengah was awarded to Malaysia.
It also ruled that the ownership of Tubir Selatan should be determined based on the delimitation of territorial waters.
More to come
