Batu Puteh task force cites Dr M's possible 'negligence'

Malaysiakini : UPDATED 6.04PM | Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has come under the crosshairs of the Special Task Force to review laws relating to sovereignty over Batu Puteh.

In its report to the cabinet, the task force said Mahathir was possibly negligent by failing to file an appeal against the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge in 2008.

The task force found that Mahathir had "missed the opportunity" to file the appeal.

This was revealed by Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a statement today.

Ismail Sabri said the cabinet has decided to continue pursuing the matter at the ICJ and will take "appropriate measures" to defend the country's sovereignty.

The cabinet was briefed on the report on Oct 7 - three days before Parliament was dissolved.

The task force was set up by the cabinet in October last year. Its mandate is to seek the views of international experts on the request to review the ICJ decision.

Knucklehead : All these 'possible' opinions will come out before General Election to fish for votes, to run down the opposition. I am no fan of Tun M and I really hope he falls real hard this time around.

But to put a possible 'negligence' charge on him is sheer stupidity! But then again, its Ismail Sabri talking here, what do you expect? BTW. The international case was in English, how could he understand?

apanama is back : Hahahahahahahaha...attack the opposition. After Mahathir, who? Tommy Thomas? Why let him go? All these task force reports are hoax and cooked up reports. Really disgrace and insulting our intelligence.

"Ismail Sabri said the cabinet has decided to continue pursuing the matter at the ICJ ....." Ismail Sabri, if I am not mistaken, the appeal period could be over. Case closed! Look likes "lebih bodoh daripada bodoh"!

Krabian : But UMNO Rais Yatim claimed the outcome was a win-win solution for Malaysia? So it was another UMNO "syok sendiri" rubbish then.

Gerard Lourdesamy : So what? The review jurisdiction of the ICJ is almost never invoked. The so-called new evidence was objected to by Singapore and was not conclusive. It begs the question why the BN government under the then AG Ghani Patail failed to obtain and present this evidence to the ICJ during the hearing of the case.

The final nail in the coffin of BN propaganda on this issue is why did successive Alliance/BN governments since 1957 failed to exercise sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh/Pedra Branca despite helming the federal and Johore state governments?

Mohd Apandi Ali as the chair of this task force itself is an affront to the rules of natural justice because of his previous involvement as the AG in the review application to the ICJ and his sacking as AG by the PH government in 2018. How could he possibly be an unbiased and disinterested party?

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