KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says there was no benefit for the country to pursue claims over Pulau Batu Puteh.
Describing Batu Puteh as "just a rock", he said this was the reason he had spoken to his cabinet in 2018 to drop an application to review the International Court of Justice's decision to hand over the island to Singapore.
Dr Mahathir said he was ready to face a court trial over claims he had betrayed the country by dropping the application.
The 99-year-old said this on a podcast hosted by former minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala and his son Leon.
On claims he had caused the country to lose land, Dr Mahathir said Batu Puteh was just the size of a football field and he had actually increase Malaysian territory by developing Pulau Layang-Layang and reclaiming land in Langkawi.
He also said Malaysia still kept hold of Middle Rocks and South Ledge in the ICJ dispute.
"Those are ours and they can be developed better than Batu Puteh.
"We have developed Pulau Layang Layang, which was just a rock in the middle of the sea but now has a landing strip and a hotel. We built something out of nothing in the middle of the sea. We can do that.
"So why do we want to talk about a lighthouse (Batu Puteh)? Let Singapore operate it."
Many have blamed Dr Mahathir for losing Batu Puteh, which Singapore calls Pedra Blanca, by withdrawing the application for review.
A royal commission of inquiry formed to look into all matters related to Batu Puteh later found that Dr Mahathir had acted to influence his cabinet to drop the review application.
The RCI also recommended that a police report be lodged against the former prime minister for cheating.