Mahathir, Pakatan chiefs in row over Pedra Branca treachery claims

Panel suggests criminal probe over his 2018 decision to halt review of UN court ruling

- Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR - Accusations of treachery are flying between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his former Pakatan Harapan (PH) colleagues over Malaysia's 2018 decision to drop a challenge over the award of Pedra Branca to Singapore.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim started the ball rolling, stating that the report of a royal inquiry made public on Dec 5 pointed to a failure to defend the country's sovereignty under the Mahathir administration, which Datuk Seri Anwar described as a "huge betrayal to the nation". "Every inch of our land must be fought for to the very end," he told reporters on Dec 6.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up in February by Mr Anwar had suggested that "criminal investigations can begin against Dr Mahathir for an offence under Section 415(b) of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 417 and 418 of the same code". The Penal Code sections cited refer to cheating offences with a maximum jail term of seven years.

But Dr Mahathir - Mr Anwar's mentor-turned-nemesis - then questioned if his then Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is Mr Anwar's wife, was also guilty of treachery, as the decision was ratified by Cabinet on May 23, 2018.

"The Prime Minister recently said this was an issue of betrayal. If so, why from May 2018 to February 2020 did Wan Azizah not speak about this 'betrayal'?" he asked in a Dec 10 statement. February 2020 saw the fall of the PH coalition government and the resignation of then Prime Minister Mahathir after 22 months in power.