KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Batu Puteh, Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge has recommended that a criminal investigation be launched against former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the management of issues related to the sovereignty of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge was officially released today.
The comprehensive 217-page report outlines the findings and recommendations to be presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, and subsequently reviewed by the Cabinet.
While the territorial dispute between Malaysia and Singapore continues to be widely debated, not many people are familiar with the history and geography of Pedra Branca or also known as Batu Puteh island — a granite islet approximately the size of a football field located 7.7 nautical miles from Tanjung Penyusuh (Romania Point) in southeastern Peninsular Malaysia and 25.5 nautical miles from Singapore.
Batu Puteh is a granite island measuring 137 meters in length, with an average width of 60 meters, covering approximately 8,560 square meters during low tide.
The island which is positioned at a spot where the Singapore Strait meets the South China Sea, Batu Puteh has been known by a few names. The Portuguese called it Pedra Branca ("white rock"),
Chinese Admiral Zheng He referred to it as 'Pia Chio' or "white island."
The only thing Batu Puteh had on the small granite island was just a lighthouse built in 1850, Horsburgh Lighthouse.
It was named after James Horsburgh, a Scottish hydrographer known for charting the waters around Singapore in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The British East India Company (EIC) began construction of Horsburgh Lighthouse on Batu Puteh in 1850, completing it in Apr 1851.
Initially the lighthouse was managed by the Straits Settlements Government, the lighthouse's administration was transferred to Singapore in 1946 after the Straits Settlements were dissolved.
Since then, Singapore has undertaken several modifications to Batu Puteh, including the addition of telecommunications infrastructure and a helipad. Batu Puteh is also known as the Maritime Beacon.
Then there is the Middle Rocks (Batuan Tengah) also referred to as Malaysia's Maritime Base situated 0.6 nautical miles south of Batu Puteh.
This Middle Rocks consists of two rock formations separated by approximately 250 meters.
Unlike Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks is permanently above water, even during high tide.
Following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on May 23, 2008, affirming Malaysia's sovereignty over Middle Rocks, the government established the Abu Bakar Maritime Base (ABMB) there.
Construction of ABMB began on Apr 6, 2012, and was completed on Aug 29, 2016. The base, inaugurated by the Sultan of Johor on Aug 1, 2017, features a helipad, a control tower, and a jetty.
Then comes the South Ledge (Tubir Selatan), the Disputed Formation located 2.2 nautical miles southwest of Batu Puteh and 1.7 nautical miles from Middle Rocks, comprises three rock formations visible only during low tide.
South Ledge is geographically closer to Middle Rocks than Batu Puteh, adding to its strategic significance.
The release of this RCI report underscores the historical, legal, and strategic significance of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge.
As the findings come under public scrutiny, the report serves to deepen understanding of Malaysia's maritime boundaries and the complexities of territorial sovereignty in the region.