Asia-Pacific Newsweek
December 13, 2024
Kuala Lumpur – Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said cabinet decisions were made collectively by ministers and the prime minister should not bear full responsibility.
Muhyiddin said charging the prime minister in court over cabinet decisions would set a bad precedent for the country.
“When the Cabinet makes a decision, it is the responsibility of every minister to collectively accept that decision. The issue of treason does not exist.
“Indeed, it would be inappropriate to bring a former Prime Minister to court simply because of a government decision approved by the cabinet of the previous government.
“If this happens, it will set a bad precedent for the country,” Muhyiddin, the former home minister during Mahathir's second term as prime minister, said in a statement on Thursday (Dec 12). .
Muhyiddin was responding to a joint statement issued by former ministers Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Mohd Sabu and Anthony Loke.
The trio claimed in a joint statement that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad only “notified” the Cabinet on May 23, 2018, of his unilateral decision to withdraw Malaysia's appeal in the Batu Puteh case on May 21, 2018.
Muhyiddin reminded Wan Azizah, Loke Siu Fook and Mohd that as the cabinet ministers at the time, they had collective responsibility on this issue.
Muhyiddin added: “Although the issue was raised by Dr Mahathir, he did not prevent any cabinet minister from expressing his opinion.”
Dr Mahathir responded to the trio in a statement on December 12, saying it was puzzling that during his second term as prime minister, three former ministers informed them not to pursue Batu Putee, Batuan Tengah, and Dubier South.
Dr Mahathir also questioned whether the three understood the concept of collective responsibility as cabinet ministers.
Dr Mahathir added: “As far as I know, all three agreed to the decision after I presented my views on the issue in detail.”
Dr Mahathir has rejected the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry that said he was responsible for Singapore's loss of Batu Puti sovereignty, a move Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said was dangerous.
In a highly redacted and declassified report submitted to Congress on December 5, the RCI report recommended that the cheating that led to Batu Puteh's defeat be investigated under sections 415(b), 417 and 418 of the Criminal Code.
It also recommended the RCI secretary to submit a report to the police to initiate an investigation.
In February, the government announced that His Majesty King Sultan Ibrahim of Malaysia had agreed to establish the RCI.
The problem stems from the government's decision in 2018 to withdraw Malaysia's application to review the International Court of Justice's ruling on Batu Puti's sovereignty.
At that time, the government was led by Dr Mahathir.
In 2008, the International Court of Justice ruled that Batu Puti belongs to Singapore and Zhongyan belongs to Malaysia.
It also stipulates that the ownership of the South Reef should be determined based on territorial sea delimitation.
