KUALA LUMPUR – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today clarified that his speech about lost Malay territories was taken out of context.
In a brief statement today, the Langkawi MP said he was not advocating for Malaysia to claim lost territories such as Singapore or the Riau islands.
“The report on what I said at the meeting with Malays is not accurate. I am not asking Malaysia to claim the land that we had lost.
“I am trying to point out that we are so concerned over losing a table-size rock but not about bigger parts of Malaysia when they were taken from us.
“Losing Pulau Batu Puteh is no big deal. It was the mistake of the Johor government to deny that the rock belonged to Johor. Had that denial not been made, there would be no dispute now.
“We should be grateful that the world court awarded Pulau Ligitan and Sipadan to us. They are much more valuable than Pulau Batu Puteh – just a rock outcrop. We should be thankful that Indonesia has not disputed the award. Really, we are not grateful for our gains.”
Dr Mahathir was referring to Malaysia’s dispute with Singapore over Pulau Batu Puteh or Pedra Branca, which now falls under the jurisdiction of the island republic.
For Pulau Ligitan and Sipadan, in 2002, the International Court of Justice ruled both islands off Borneo fall under Malaysian sovereignty. The decision was disputed by Malaysia and Indonesia.
Last Sunday, Dr Mahathir spoke during an event in Selangor organised by groups under the Kongres Survival Melayu banner.
He was reported as saying that Malaysia should also claim Singapore and the Riau Islands and they were previously considered as part of Tanah Melayu. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
