by PROF DR P RAMASAMY

JOHOR Umno leaders might inadvertently condemn their own government over Pulau Batu Putih.

There is no end to the comedy drama on the lost island of Pulau Batu Putih.

While the report on the island off the coast of Johor is yet to be finalised by the task force headed by the former Attorney General (Tan Sri Mohamed) Apandi Ali, there are already talks from Johor Umno leaders in taking legal suits against those responsible for the loss of the island in 2008.

In this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recognised the sovereignty of Singapore over the island. Subsequently, Malaysia filed an appeal but was withdrawn by the PH (Pakistan Harapan) government under the former Prime Minister (PM) (Tun Dr) Mahathir Mohammed, citing reasons of cost and the prospect of not winning the case as advised by experts.

The Sultan of Johor has been upset over the loss of the island to Singapore. He has already received the interim report of the task force on the island.

Meanwhile, the fact that Dr Mahathir had walked out on being heard by the task force has upset some Umno leaders.

The former PM (Datuk Seri Mohd) Najib Razak said that Dr Mahathir should have been a “jantan” to appear before the committee chaired by none other than Apandi.

It was Dr Mahathir who fired Apandi after he became the PM in 2018. Why he should appear in front of the person he sacked seems puzzling.

The task force has no legal standing nor has it any enforcement powers. It was instituted among others not to delve deep into why Malaysia lost the island, but a political mechanism to shift the blame onto the short-lived PH government in general and Dr Mahathir in particular.

As I have earlier said, Dr Mahathir did the right thing of walking out of the hearing. There was no reason why he should appear before the panel to condemn himself.

Umno might be (a) serious contender in the coming GE15 (15th General Election), but it lacks the backbone to reinvent itself amidst allegations of corruption and financial misdeeds in the party.

Some of its senior leaders might be jailed in the future.

Umno leaders in Johor, particularly the newly minted Mentri Besar (Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi) and the speaker (Datuk Dr Mohd) Puad Zarkashi are crying for blood over the loss of Pulau Batu Putih.

While Onn Hafiz threatened legal action against those responsible for the loss of the island, Puad has said that he would sue Dr Mahathir.

As though, Dr Mahathir will be cowed over these threats.

But unfortunately, the Johor Umno leaders are trying to be heroes in the anticipation of the GE15.

Maybe it is about time they did some research as to who was responsible for the loss of the island to Singapore in 2008.

Since the application to the ICJ was a joint one, Malaysia had no choice but to accept the verdict. Malaysia appealed, but there was a slight chance it could succeed.

Right or wrong, Dr Mahathir might have withdrawn the appeal as advised without anticipating the political consequences.

Politically, the decision should have been left to the good office of the ICJ.

Since the Johor Umno leaders are forming a line to take legal action against those responsible for the loss of the island, maybe they should explain why in September 1953, the Johor state secretary, in a letter to the British colonial secretariat in Singapore, withdrew Johor’s claim over the island of Pulau Batu Putih.

It would make sense for the gung-ho Umno leaders like Onn Hafiz and Puad to re-examine the state’s history in relation to the controversial rock island of Pulau Batu Putih.

If the concept of “Terra Nullis” (notion of non-habitation) could not even be refuted in the legal arguments before the ICJ, I wondered about the seriousness of the Malaysian legal team.

Umno leaders in Johor must be careful in their euphoria of initiating legal action as they might inadvertently condemn the very state government they are representing.

Prof Dr P Ramasamy is the Penang deputy chief minister II and Perai state assemblyman.