Mahathir’s lawyer slams Anwar over Malaysia’s ‘politically motivated’ reopening of Singapore’s Pedra Branca dispute

Malaysia’s Mahathir slams Anwar over son Mirzan’s corruption probe

Such investigations are limited to important matters, and the RCI has considerable powers to subpoena witnesses.

This investigation is only the 14th in Malaysia’s history since independence in 1957. Previous investigations looked into the discovery of mass graves of illegal immigrants along the Malaysia-Thailand border in 2015, as well as injuries suffered by Anwar during his stay there. He was taken into police custody in 1999.

“It is not far off to call this politically motivated and political pressure on Tun Mahathir by none other than Anwar Ibrahim,” Rafik Rashid, the two-time prime minister’s lawyer, said in Asia this week.

Anwar was famously fired as Malaysia’s deputy prime minister in 1998 after falling out with former leader and then prime minister Mahathir Mahathir. He was subsequently jailed on charges of sodomy, which he claims were trumped up charges.

Critics say Mr Anwar, who took over as prime minister in November 2022, has criticized Mr Mahathir and his allies following a series of recent corruption investigations into his son Mirzan Mahathir and his close aide, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin. He says he is seeking revenge against his friends.

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On Tuesday, Mr. Daim’s wife, Naima, was charged in court with failing to declare assets, further fueling accusations that Mr. Anwar is using such investigations to settle a deal with his opponents.

The investigation began in February after Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ismail was appointed Malaysia’s 17th king, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said after a cabinet meeting was held to discuss the matter. It is said that there are plans to do so.

Sultan Ibrahim has been one of the most vocal critics of the decision to withdraw the review of the ICJ judgment as it affects Johor. The state of Johor has disputed islets and rocky outcrops just south of its waters.

Speaking at the opening of state parliament in June 2022, the king slammed Mahathir, claiming the former leader had taken a unilateral decision to withdraw from a 2017 appeal against a 2008 verdict.

“Johor was not consulted at all even though the decision involved Johor’s land and sovereignty,” said Sultan Ibrahim.

He claimed that this was only done by Mahathir, who had just dismissed the attorney general and had not yet formed a government.

The king suggested that the federal agreement that formed Malaysia was invalidated because the authority of the state had been violated by the federal government in Kuala Lumpur.

“Johor state is [therefore] We are no longer part of the Federation of Malaysia,” he insisted on the gravity of Mahathir’s decision.

Commenting on the opening of the investigation, Justice Minister Azalina Osman Said on Thursday explained that Mr. Anwar is “very concerned about sovereignty” and that what happened in Pedra Blanca cannot be allowed to happen again. said.

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Prime Minister Mahathir had previously accused the Johor state government of abandoning ownership of Pedra Blanca, citing a letter dated September 1953. The Johor State Secretary sent a letter to the British Colonial Secretary in Singapore stating, “The Johor State Government does not claim ownership of Pedra Blanca.”

However, analyst Azmi Hassan pointed out that Mahathir was responsible for this issue. Speaking in Asia this week, he said: “This is a new attack.” [by Anwar] Regarding Mahathir, he said: “However, he is responsible for refusing to participate in the previous investigation.”