'Let him be': Anwar says over Dr M's dare to charge him

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim offered a brief reply to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s challenge to charge the latter in court over the Pulau Batu Puteh issue.

“Let him be,” Sinar Harian reported Anwar as saying after attending the Finance Ministry’s monthly assembly today.

Two days ago, Anwar said in Parliament that the cabinet decided not to pursue legal action against Mahathir over the Pulau Batu Puteh issue due to his old age.

Mahathir turned 100 two weeks ago.

He said the cabinet also took Mahathir’s status as a former prime minister into account.

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“We made the decision because this issue involves a former PM who has reached 100.

“Was he not wrong (in the Pulau Batu Puteh issue)? He was. But do we need to take action against him? I was in the cabinet meeting, and I agree that we should not take any action.

“Because if we take action, you, Kota Bharu, will be the one shouting, accusing us of being unfair,” Anwar said, addressing Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan in the Dewan Rakyat.

‘I don’t need immunity’

However, Mahathir has shot back by saying he does not need “immunity” and dared Anwar to drag him to court.

“He said I’m not being charged despite being in the wrong, as I’m now 100 years old. It means I get immunity.

“But I don’t want immunity. If you think I was wrong, take me to court and prove it. I know I’m innocent, and I want to prove it (in court).

“Immunity is only for those who fear being dragged to court as they know they are guilty,” said the former Langkawi MP in a statement.

Mahathir seemed to be referring to Anwar’s application to the court to suspend a civil suit brought by Yusoff Rawther, who filed a suit in 2021, alleging that the Tambun MP had sexually assaulted him at the PKR president’s office in October 2018.

On Dec 5 last year, the royal commission of inquiry on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge recommended that a criminal investigation be launched against Mahathir.

The report accused Mahathir of deceiving the cabinet in 2018 into withdrawing Malaysia’s review of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s decision to award sovereignty over Batu Puteh to Singapore. - Mkini