KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again denied that the move to withdraw Malaysia's application to review the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling on Pulau Batu Puteh was a unilateral decision.
Maintaining that it was a collective decision, he said his cabinet members in the then-Pakatan Harapan administration were present when the review was tabled for discussion, but none of them commented on or objected to the move.
He said some of the ministers who were present during the cabinet meeting should be called as witnesses during the investigation.
He said the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the issue appeared to single him out.
"It seems to pinpoint that I was the one responsible but it was the cabinet (decision).
"All these people were in the cabinet meeting unless they have any complaints or objection to the decision, they could have spoken (but) none of them said anything. We can assume they all agree.
"If I was treacherous, then the whole cabinet including the deputy prime minister (at the time) was treacherous," Mahathir said in a press conference today.
Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the RCI's findings on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge revealed a failure that is tantamount to treachery against the country.
He said Dr Mahathir's 2018 administration should have fought for every inch of Malaysian territory.
Dr Mahathir, meanwhile, dismissed the 'treacherous' label against him as he did not gain anything from the decision other than pointing to his 'difficult relationship' with Singapore during his administration.
He said the decision was made for Malaysia's benefit as the Middle Rocks awarded to Malaysia were considered to be more valuable than Pulau Batu Puteh, which was awarded to Singapore.
"What did I gain from that? I gained nothing, it was the decision for the country, I knew Middle Rocks were valuable for us, we can develop it," Mahathir said, likening its development to Pulau Layang-Layang.
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.