KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad denied allegations that he betrayed the country on Tuesday, after a royal inquiry called for a criminal probe against him over a 2018 government decision to drop claims on two disputed islets.
In a report published last week, a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) recommended 99-year-old Mahathir face investigation for the decision, made while he was in office, to withdraw Malaysia’s bid to overturn a World Court ruling over the sovereignty of the Pedra Branca islet between Malaysia and Singapore.
Malaysia had also requested clarification from the court on the status of another disputed islet, according to the RCI report.
Both applications, made in 2017, were withdrawn after the election of a coalition led by Mahathir the following year.
Mahathir told reporters on Tuesday the decision to drop the claims had been made by the then cabinet on the advice of legal experts.
He questioned why those government ministers had not been called as witnesses to the inquiry or to face similar probes.
“All these people were in the cabinet meeting, if they have anything to complain or object to the decision … they could have spoken against it, but none of them said anything,” he said.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-mahathir-denies-treachery-allegations-calls-criminal-probe-4798031
