The report was presented today at Istana Negara by RCI chairman Raus Sharif and other commission members, as announced in a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page, Bernama reported.

On Feb 3, 2017, Putrajaya filed an application to review the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision, handed down nine years earlier, to award Singapore sovereignty over Batu Puteh.

The ICJ awarded Middle Rocks to Malaysia, while the ownership of South Ledge, situated about 4km from Batu Puteh, was left to be determined based on the delimitation of territorial waters.

However, upon wresting control of Putrajaya at the general election in May 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, withdrew the application before it came up for hearing on June 11, 2018.

On Feb 14 this year, Sultan Ibrahim consented to Raus leading an RCI to inquire into why Malaysia dropped its territorial claim to Batu Puteh.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said the RCI was established to seek resolution and improve national sovereignty issues, rather than to assign blame to any party.

Azalina said Malaysians, particularly the people of Johor, deserve a clear explanation of the reasons and factors behind the decision not to pursue the application for review and request for interpretation at the ICJ, regarding the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge.

On June 12, Mahathir provided his testimony during closed RCI proceedings.