Govt cites national security in redacting Batu Puteh RCI report

PARLIAMENT | Forty-seven pages have been redacted in the publicly released version of the Royal Commission of Inquiry Report on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge for national security reasons and to guard against “political problems”.

Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul said the matter has been confirmed by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

“I received the report earlier and summoned the minister for an explanation since we have Standing Order 27(3) regarding the minister’s motions, and I also asked about the redacted pages. It involves issues of sovereignty and sensitivity, it involves things that MPs may ask about in the chambers but will not be printed.

“So, to protect against political problems and national security issues, you may ask the minister questions – there is no problem, and I allow it. It’s just that it won’t be in black and white,” Johari (above) said in the Dewan Rakyat today at the opening of debates about the report.

‘Why blacked out?’

Earlier, before the report was tabled, Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) demanded Johari explain why 47 pages in the 217-page report had been blacked out.

He claimed the report was defective because of the redacted pages.

“I want guidance from the speaker. For me, the RCI report can be considered defective.

“How so? What are we supposed to be referring to? I can give an example for the minister to answer.

“On page 197, it says, ‘The commission’s recommendations are summarised as follows’. And then, there is nothing on the next page, just black.

“What is the recommendation? What report, and what recommendations are there (for us) to discuss? Forty-seven out of 217 pages have been redacted,” he said while questioning whether the report is worthy of discussion in Parliament.

“Is this a report worthy of being brought into the Dewan Rakyat for debate? I want an explanation; I believe the speaker was aware of this.

“So, I want an explanation before it is debated. This may be (a violation of Standing Order) 36(12) for being misleading,” he said.

Transparency questioned

On Tuesday, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamd questioned the transparency of the RCI. This is due to the redacted pages, and the commission’s insistence on holding its proceedings behind closed doors.

The report was declassified on Dec 5 and recommended a criminal investigation against Mahathir.

In the report, the RCI accused Mahathir of misleading the cabinet in 2018 to withdraw Malaysia’s bid to review an International Court of Justice decision to award sovereignty over Batu Puteh to Singapore.

It claimed Mahathir made the decision unilaterally without cabinet approval and merely briefed the cabinet on his reasons for doing so after the fact.

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