KOTA TINGGI: The criminal investigation proposed by the Batu Puteh royal commission of inquiry (RCI) should seek to understand why the bid for an interpretation of the International Court of Justice decision on the matter was withdrawn.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said the investigation was crucial to uncovering what transpired regarding the Batu Puteh claim.
"When I was Johor menteri besar in 2017, I proposed to the federal government to appeal against the ICJ ruling (which ruled Batu Puteh belongs to Singapore).
"At that time, the British had declassified certain information indicating and proving that Batu Puteh belonged to Johor, and the (ICJ ruling) could have been challenged.
"The prime minister at that time was Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and we only had a limited time to file the appeal.
"If it wasn't done then, we would no longer be able to make a claim on Batu Puteh.
"What happened, as summarised by the RCI, was that a decision was made without consultation, particularly a unilateral decision by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to proceed with the appeal," he said.
Khaled was speaking after officiating at the Sustainable Knowledge Transfer Programme, Economic Strengthening, and Knowledge Empowerment of Residents at Felda Bukit Aping Timur here today.
Last Thursday, the RCI tasked with reviewing the handling of the Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge sovereignty case recommended that a criminal investigation be initiated against Dr Mahathir.
The RCI said Dr Mahathir withdrew the application to the ICJ for an interpretation of its ruling without consulting the cabinet in 2018.
RCI chairman Tun Md Raus Sharif handed over the report to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on 12 Aug.
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.
Malaysia filed an application to review ICJ's ruling in 2017 but it was then withdrawn in May 2018.