His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, seen at his swearing-in ceremony at Istana Negara on Jan 31, 2024. (Bernama filepix)

PUTRAJAYA (Feb 14): His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, on Wednesday consented to the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to review with immediate effect on matters related to the cases involving the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.

The Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU JPM), in a statement on Wednesday, said the establishment of the RCI is in line with the Commissions of Enquiry Act 1950 [Act 119].

It said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, along with BHEUU director-general Zamri Misman, were granted an audience and informed Sultan Ibrahim about the government’s proposal for the establishment of the RCI.

“His Majesty also consented to the appointment of seven RCI members, including former chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif as the chairman, and former Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zainun Ali as the deputy chairman,” the statement read.

The five other RCI members are legal practitioner Datuk Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu, former dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, Prof Dr Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin; constitutional law and administrative law expert Prof Datin Dr Faridah Jalil, Johor state financial officer Datuk Mohammed Ridha Abd Kadir, and Marine Department southern region director Dickson Dollah.

Sultan Ibrahim also consented to Zamri serving as the secretary of the RCI, while BHEUU JPM will act as the secretariat.

In October last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the issue of Batu Puteh could be resolved with the direct involvement of the attorneys general of Malaysia and Singapore.

Anwar also urged then attorney general Tan Sri Idrus Harun in December, to hold talks with the Singapore government on the controversy concerning the claims over Batu Puteh.

The directive called for Idrus to review and re-examine the issues surrounding Batu Puteh that had been awarded to Singapore by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) before this.

On May 23, 2008, the ICJ ruled that Singapore had sovereignty over Batu Puteh, while Malaysia had sovereignty over Middle Rocks.

In addition, the ICJ ruled that ownership of South Ledge, located about four kilometres from Batu Puteh, would be determined based on the maritime boundaries of the country that controls it.