DR MAHATHIR Mohamad has blamed former attorney-general (AG) Apandi Ali’s officers for withdrawing the application to review the ruling awarding legal jurisdiction of Batu Puteh to Singapore.

He said that caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri’s claim that he (Mahathir) might have made a mistake in the Batu Puteh issue was merely his “opinion”.

Dr Mahathir said the country should accept the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and keep to the agreement with Singapore that Malaysia would accept the court’s findings.

“For me, we have already promised Singapore that we will accept whatever decision was made by the court.”

“After the court decides, we cannot dismiss it. We made a promise early on and must keep it,” he told reporters at an event at KL Tower.

Dr Mahathir also said that Apandi’s appointment to head the special task force on the Batu Puteh case was inappropriate due to his conflict of interest.

“It should have been someone else (heading the task force). However, if you want to take this to the international courts, then let the courts decide.”

Apandi was the AG during the jailed former prime minister Najib Razak administration which filed an application for a review of the ruling by the ICJ in 2017.

Yesterday, Ismail said the cabinet has agreed with the proposal of the special task force tasked into looking at the sovereignty claims of Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge to continue legal action at the ICJ. 

He said the cabinet, after being briefed on the findings of the task force, was told there was possible negligence and oversight on Dr Mahathir’s part over the Batu Puteh claim. 

Ismail said Dr Mahathir, when he was prime minister had missed the opportunity to file a review application against the judgment.

This was based on the ICJ decision in 2008 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, 

Ismail, however, said that Putrajaya will take all appropriate measures to defend Malaysia’s sovereignty.

In 2017, Malaysia applied to the ICJ to request an interpretation of the judgment.

However, in 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government of Dr Mahathir withdrew the application to overturn the ruling awarding legal jurisdiction of Batu Puteh to Singapore. – October 15, 2022.