PUTRAJAYA, Dec 13 — Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said the Cabinet will recommend that the attorney general consider declassifying the final report of the Batu Puteh Special Task Force.
He said the decision was made considering that the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge has been tabled in Parliament.
“Today, the Cabinet made a decision to propose that the Attorney General consider declassifying the final report of the Batu Puteh Special Task Force,” he said in a press conference today.
He said the two reports were distinct but cross-reference one another, and were in close alignment.
Fahmi further said both reports reached similar conclusions, including the recommendation to initiate prosecution for misfeasance (negligence of duty) by a public officer.
“Regarding the status of the documents, the Cabinet has decided that the process of declassification will be comprehensive, except for matters concerning diplomacy, national security, and defence,” he added.
Some Opposition MPs have claimed the RCI report’s release to be politically motivated, while former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that the inquiry was conducted specifically to blame him for Malaysia’s loss of Batu Puteh.
On a separate matter, Fahmi said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will require more time to develop an interim solution to rising medical insurance premiums in the country.
