KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional Opposition Chief Whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan has raised concerns over the redaction of 47 pages in the Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah, and Tubir Selatan Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report.
"Forty-seven pages had been redacted. To me, this report is cacat (incomplete). What are we supposed to refer to?" he asked Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul for an explanation before Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said tabled a motion for the debate of the RCI report.
"What report are we going to debate?" asked Takiyuddin (PN-Kota Bharu).
Johari responded that he had asked the minister for clarification on the matter.
"The redacted items involve the sovereignty and sensitivities of the country. It involves matters that MPs can ask in the House, but it was printed," said Johari.
"I allow you to ask the Minister," he added. The report was tabled on Dec 5.
Later during his debate on the motion, Takiyuddin questioned why no ministers in the Pakatan Harapan government had opposed the decision to not proceed with the filing of the applications to review and interpret the 2008 International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision in the territorial claim with Singapore.
He also referred to the minutes of the cabinet meeting to support his point.
The report stated that then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had acted unilaterally in the decision.
The RCI, chaired by Tun Md Raus Sharif, was tasked with reviewing the handling of matters related to the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah, and Tubir Selatan.
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 ICJ'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 Tubir Selatan would be determined based on the delimitation of territorial waters.
Malaysia filed an application to review ICJ's ruling in 2017 but it was then withdrawn in May 2018.
The RCI report noted that Malaysia could refile the new interpretation application at any appropriate time.
