Can Malaysia’s Mahathir beat ‘common man’ Anwar for Pedra Branca?

MalaysiaHis government could be bracing for a new round of political turmoil, experts say, as it considers whether to launch a criminal investigation against the former prime minister. Mahathir Mohamad for dropping a challenge against the award of a disputed island to Singapore more than a decade ago.

On December 5, Prime Minister Anwar IbrahimHis administration declassified a report by a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into Pedra Branca, known locally as Pulau Batu Puteh, which recommended that Mahathir be investigated for allegedly defrauding the government to withdraw an appeal against the Court International Court of Justice (ICJ). the 2008 decision to attribute the rocky outcrop to Singapore.

The revelation sparked a fiery backlash from 99-year-old Mahathir.

A week later, the two-time prime minister announced a coalition with the Malay nationalist opposition front Perikatan Nasional to fight Anwar’s administration, which he described as the “common enemy” of the country’s Malay-Muslim majority.

“Right now, Anwar is public enemy No. 1 for (Mahathir) and the opposition,” said Syaza Farhana Mohamad Shukri, head of the political science department at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).

“If (the government) goes ahead with the investigations, the opposition will have a field day to paint this very negative picture of Anwar.”

The ICJ award was significant for Malaysia’s geographically smaller neighbor as it led to the extension of Singapore’s exclusive economic zone by up to 12 nautical miles outward from Pedra Branca, which is located 24 nautical miles east of the city-state.