Dr M decided to drop Batu Puteh challenge unilaterally, his former Cabinet members say

Sunday 12 Jan 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 12): Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad made the decision to drop Malaysia's challenge over Batu Puteh unilaterally, three of his former Cabinet members said on Thursday.

The decision not to proceed with the review and interpretation was made on May 21, 2018 by Mahathir himself in writing to the solicitor general, without referring to the Cabinet, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Anthony Loke Siew Fook said in a joint statement.

Singapore was also informed on the morning of May 23, 2018, before a Cabinet meeting was held, and Mahathir only informed the Cabinet in a meeting two days later after the decision was made, they said.

The joint statement comes after Mahathir’s Tuesday press conference, where he said the move to drop Malaysia’s application to review the International Court of Justice’s decision to award Batu Puteh to Singapore was made with the agreement of the then Cabinet.

Mahathir pointed out that his Cabinet in the short-lived 2018-2020 administration included Wan Azizah as the deputy prime minister and Loke as the transport minister, and none of them spoke out against his decision.

“We would like to emphasise that it was merely a notification under an ‘other matters’ agenda, and not a discussion to determine the decision,” Wan Azizah, Mohamad, and Loke said on Thursday.

The issue of anyone opposing or supporting the decision did not arise, “because the space to make the decision was lost when it was made in writing by Mahathir”, they said.

Mahathir should take the full responsibility over the decision as a statesman rather than shift it to those who were uninvolved, they added.

Edited ByJason Ng

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