Sultan Ibrahim also presented the members of the RCI with their instruments of appointment, according to a post on his Facebook page.

Also present was law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said.

On Feb 14, it was reported that Sultan Ibrahim had consented to the setting up of an RCI and the appointment of seven RCI members, including former chief justice Raus Sharif as the chairman and former Federal Court judge Zainun Ali as the deputy chairman.

The five other RCI members are lawyer Baljit Singh Sidhu, former Universiti Malaya faculty of law dean Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin, constitutional law and administrative law expert Faridah Jalil, Johor state financial officer Ridha Abd Kadir and director of marine department southern region Dickson Dollah.

Sultan Ibrahim also consented to Prime Minister’s Department’s legal affairs division (BHEUU) director-general Zamri Misman being appointed as secretary of the RCI.

Last October, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said 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 Idrus Harun in December to hold talks with the Singapore government on the controversy concerning the claims over Batu Puteh.

Idrus was asked to review and reexamine 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 4km from Batu Puteh, would be determined based on the maritime boundaries of the country that controls it.