Ask Saifuddin, says Guan Eng over Batu Puteh decision

 

Malaysia and Singapore went to the world court at The Hague in 2008 to decide sovereignty over Batu Puteh, a rocky islet at the eastern end of the Straits of Singapore. (AFP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng said today two of his Cabinet colleagues had recommended that Malaysia withdraw its challenge of an award of sovereignty over Batu Puteh to Singapore.

Lim, who was finance minister of the Pakatan Harapan government then, said that he did not “follow” the issue on Batu Puteh. However, to his recollection, the law minister and the foreign minister had made the recommendation to withdraw the challenge.

Saifuddin Abdullah was then foreign minister while the late Liew Vui Keong was law minister. Liew died in 2020.

“I think it is not appropriate for me to say anything more because it is their recommendation. Check with the foreign affairs minister why they made that recommendation,” he told FMT.

Yesterday, caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Cabinet had been informed that there was possible negligence and oversight on the part of then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the Batu Puteh claim.

Ismail said the Cabinet was informed by the special task force looking into the matter that Mahathir might have made a mistake in his decision.

FMT has contacted Saifuddin and Mahathir’s office for comment.

Former entrepreneur development minister Redzuan Yusof claimed the oversight was that of the previous administration led by former prime minister Najib Razak.

“Mahathir and the Cabinet (at the time) wanted to define the negligence and oversight by the previous government such as the failure to redraw and submit our boundaries,” he said.

Former human resources minister M Kula Segaran and former federal territories minister Khalid Samad declined to comment with the latter saying he had to “check his notes” on the issue.

Similarly former transport minister Loke Siew Fook also would not comment and said he did not remember if Mahathir or the Cabinet decided to withdraw the application.

Teresa Kok, who was then primary industries minister, said she did not recall either and asked to confirm this with Mahathir himself.

In 2008, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decided that Batu Puteh belonged to Singapore, Middle Rocks to Malaysia and South Ledge to the state in the territorial waters in which it is located.

In June 2017, Malaysia applied to the ICJ to request an interpretation of the judgment. In 2018, Mahathir withdrew an application to overturn the ICJ’s ruling awarding legal jurisdiction of Batu Puteh to Singapore. - FMT