THE Cabinet has decided not to initiate legal action against former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the Batu Puteh dispute, citing his advanced age and his position as a former national leader.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision was made with full Cabinet consensus and in recognition of Dr Mahathir’s age, which he noted had “reached 100 years.”
“Is he not at fault (in the Batu Puteh issue)? He is,” Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat during Minister’s Question Time in response to a query by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS–Kota Bharu).
“But should we take action against him? In the Cabinet meeting, I agreed that we would not take any action.
“Because if we do, you, Kota Bharu (Takiyuddin), will accuse us of being unfair,” he added.
The Batu Puteh sovereignty issue has remained a contentious topic following Malaysia’s decision in 2018 not to proceed with a review application at the International Court of Justice regarding the island’s status. - July 22, 2025
