The Prime Minister’s Department has announced that a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) will be established to review Malaysia’s sovereignty over Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah and Tubir Selatan. The RCI will be chaired by former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif.
According to the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU), the government has obtained consent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia after an audience with de facto Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and BHEUU director-general Zamri Misman.
“The government has received the consent from the King over the establishment of the RCI to study matters related to Malaysia’s sovereignty over Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah and Tubir Selatan effective immediately,” the statement said yesterday.
Tun Md Raus will lead six other commissioners, including former Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Zainun Ali as the deputy chairman, law practitioner Datuk Dr Baljit Singh Sidhu, former Universiti Malaya’s Law Faculty Dean Prof Dr Johan Shamsuddin Sabaruddin, law and constitutional expert Prof Datin Dr Faridah Jalil, Johor Finance Officer Datuk Mohammed Ridha Abd Kadir, and South Region Marine Director Datuk Dickson Dollah.
BHEUU also confirmed that the King has consented to Zamri as the secretary of the RCI, while the division will act as the secretariat.
In January, the Cabinet agreed to establish the RCI to examine the management issues related to the sovereignty of the three regions in Johor.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali stated that the RCI was established under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950 (Act 119).
