Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad addressed a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya on Tuesday, where he refuted claims of betraying the nation.
A royal inquiry had recently called for a criminal investigation against the 99-year-old leader over a 2018 government decision to abandon claims on two contested islets. The decision, made during Mahathir's tenure, involved withdrawing Malaysia's bid to challenge a World Court ruling on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca, an islet between Malaysia and Singapore. Additionally, Malaysia had sought clarification from the court regarding the status of another disputed islet, as per the royal commission of inquiry's (RCI) report.
Both applications, submitted in 2017, were withdrawn following the election of a coalition led by Mahathir in 2018. During the press conference, Mahathir asserted that the decision to drop the claims was made by the then-cabinet based on legal advice. He questioned why the government ministers involved were not summoned as witnesses or subjected to similar investigations.
"All these individuals were present in the cabinet meeting. If they had any objections or complaints about the decision, they could have voiced them, but none did," he stated. The inquiry was initiated this year after current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim requested a review of the abandoned claims.
Mahathir characterized the RCI as politically driven, aimed at tarnishing his reputation. He dismissed Anwar's accusations that the inquiry's findings exposed treachery by Mahathir's government. "If I am deemed treacherous, then so was my deputy at the time," he said, referring to Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who served as deputy prime minister during Mahathir's term.
Mahathir and Anwar, once mentor and protégé turned rivals, have had a tumultuous relationship that has influenced Malaysian politics for decades. They joined forces to oust the long-ruling Barisan Nasional government in 2018, but their coalition disintegrated within two years due to internal conflicts. Anwar assumed the role of prime minister in 2022, vowing to combat corruption, but has faced criticism from some quarters for allegedly targeting political adversaries. He has denied these allegations, asserting that he does not interfere in legal matters.
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