KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad filed a judicial review application at the High Court here yesterday seeking publicly conducted proceedings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the handling of issues related to the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.
In his supporting affidavit, the former Prime Minister said the RCI’s decision not to hold open proceedings was unreasonable.
He filed the bid through legal firm Law Practice of Rafique, naming RCI chairman Tun Md Raus Sharif and his deputy Tan Sri Zainun Ali first and second respondents.
The third to eighth respondents were RCI members Datuk Baljit Singh Sidhu, Datuk Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin, Prof Faridah Jalil, Datuk Mohammed Ridha Ham Abd Kadir, Tuan Hai Dickson Dollah and RCI secretary Zamri Misman.
In the application, Dr Mahathir sought a declaration that he is an individual involved in or related to the matter being investigated by the RCI under Section 18 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950.
He also sought an order to prohibit Md Raus from acting as RCI chairman and to disqualify Baljit and Ridha as RCI members.
Dr Mahathir said Md Raus’s appointment as RCI chairman posed a “real danger of bias” due to existing animosity between Md Raus and himself, which could affect Md Raus’s impartiality in the proceedings.
Dr Mahathir’s lawyer, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, confirmed in a media statement they filed the application yesterday.
“An urgent motion has also been filed to expedite a hearing by the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Special Powers Division), considering that June 12 is the date our client was subpoenaed to attend RCI proceedings,” the lawyer said.
— Bernama
