Batu Puteh appeal: Wan Azizah, Loke, and Mat Sabu were lying, says Dr M

 

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused three members of his 2018 cabinet of “lying” in their account of the Batu Puteh case.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Mahathir reiterated that he did not unilaterally decide to withdraw Malaysia’s review of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision to award Batu Puteh to Singapore.

He cited a purported copy of the cabinet meeting minutes to prove his point.

“I am not sure how but the cabinet meeting’s minutes were leaked, but it showed that what the three cabinet ministers claimed was not true, (they were) lying.

“I feel ashamed because these people served under me in my cabinet, but they lied,” he said.

Mahathir was at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya when reporters asked for his comments on the Batu Puteh issue.

By the book

The former premier was referring to several documents received by opposition leader Takiyuddin Hassan, who is Kota Bharu MP, which allegedly contain the minutes of Mahathir’s cabinet meeting discussing the Batu Puteh review.

Last week, three leaders in Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan cabinet affirmed a Royal Commission of Inquiry’s findings that the former premier unilaterally decided to drop Malaysia’s appeal in the Batu Puteh case.

(From left) Mohamad Sabu, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and Anthony Loke

Former deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Mahathir’s transport minister Anthony Loke, and then-defence minister Mohamad Sabu said that the nonagenarian had only informed the cabinet after he had made the decision.

Mahathir said he believed that he had done everything by the book on the decision to withdraw the appeal.

“But (they) still want to say that I made the decision unilaterally, not the cabinet.

“If I wanted to make the decision, I would not say that it was my opinion, but rather I would say that we have decided to discontinue the case and can inform Singapore,” he said.

‘Read the entire RCI report’

Meanwhile, in response to Mahathir, Loke suggested the former premier and members of the public read the entire RCI report.

The transport minister said he, Wan Azizah, and Mohamad did not deny they were at the cabinet meeting where Mahathir announced the decision to withdraw Malaysia’s appeal.

However, Loke stressed that it was done verbally and without any cabinet paper presented to the ministers.

“Of course, Tun M brought the matter to the cabinet, and it was of course endorsed at the end of the meeting, but it was an endorsement of his earlier decision.

“Decision was already made, as pointed out in the RCI report. The letter confirming the decision to Singapore was sent out before the cabinet meeting.

“So the endorsement is actually just an endorsement of his earlier decision. That’s what we meant. What we said in the statement reflects the position and the chronology in the RCI report.

“So I suggest Tun M should read the entire RCI report, and the public should read the entire RCI report to understand the entire chronology and the background of the entire issue,” he told reporters after an event in Kuala Lumpur.