KUALA LUMPUR: Former Attorney General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali concurred with the recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to carry out a criminal investigation against former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The RCI on the handling of sovereignty issues involving Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge had proposed that a criminal investigation should be brought against Dr Mahathir.
“I agree with the recommendation of the RCI,” Mohamed Apandi said when contacted yesterday.
In a highly redacted and declassified report tabled in Parliament yesterday, the RCI report recommended that investigations cover offences of cheating under Sections 415 (b), 417 and 418 of the Penal Code which resulted in the loss of Batu Puteh.
Earlier in January, Mohamed Apandi said he was ready to be called up by the RCI.
He also said that it was high time an RCI was formed on the loss of Batu Puteh.
On Aug 29, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said stated the RCI report on the Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge issue would be tabled in Parliament, after the report was presented to the Cabinet on Aug 28.
The RCI, chaired by Tun Md Raus Sharif was tasked with reviewing the handling of matters related to the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
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 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 Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia.
It also ruled that the ownership of South Ledge would be determined based on the delimitation of territorial waters.
