Batu Puteh: Anwar wants AG to explain, seeks 'meaningful' talks with S'pore

The government has requested Attorney-General Idrus Harun to furnish an explanation over the Batu Puteh issue.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government is also seeking to hold more “meaningful” discussions with Singapore.

“We are asking (the AG) to review the after-effects to hold more meaningful talks with Singapore so that no problems will arise from the perspective of bilateral ties,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya this afternoon.

Previously, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government had renounced its claim for Pulau Batu Puteh in order to follow an earlier arrangement it had made with Singapore.

He said if Malaysia did not rescind its claim, Indonesia would have equal justification in asserting ownership of the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan, which are located off the coast of Sabah.

Kiniguide: How did Malaysia lose sovereignty of Pulau Batu Puteh?

In October, the special task force to review laws relating to the sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge presented its final report to former premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet.

The task force was chaired by former AG Mohamed Apandi Ali and comprised Malaysian lawyers who handled the case from 2016 to 2017, legal practitioners, maritime surveyors and representatives of the relevant ministries or departments.

Following this, Ismail Sabri said the cabinet agreed for Malaysia to proceed with legal action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the dispute.

He also said the task force had disclosed that there was possible negligence and error on Mahathir’s part when Malaysia missed the window to file a review application against the ICJ judgement in 2018.

After the dissolution of Parliament, Ismail Sabri promised to declassify the task force’s report.

On May 23, 2008, the ICJ ruled that Pulau Batu Puteh belonged to Singapore, Middle Rocks to Malaysia, and South Ledge to the state in the territorial waters of which it is located.

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

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