Out of context: Dr M says on Johor should reclaim Singapore, Riau islands

SHAH ALAM – Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad rebuts reports stating that he had asked Malaysia to reclaim Singapore and Riau islands.

The Langkawi MP explained that he meant that Malaysia was so concerned over losing a small land instead of the bigger parts of the country which had been taken.

“The report on what I said at the meeting with Malays is not accurate.

“I am not asking Malaysia to claim the land that we had lost.

“I am trying to point out that we are so concerned over losing a table-size rock but never about bigger parts of Malaysia when they were taken from us,” he said in a statement today.

He mentioned losing Pulau Batu Puteh was not a big issue and it was the mistake of the Johor government as they denied that the rock belonged to them.

Dr Mahathir said the dispute happening now could have been avoided had that denial not been made.

He also said the country should be more grateful for other lands that have been awarded due to their higher value compared to Pulau Batu Puteh.

“We should be grateful that the World Court awarded Pulau Ligitan and Sipadan to us.

“They are much more valuable than Pulau Batu Puteh – just a rock outcrop.

“We should be thankful that Indonesia has not disputed the award. Really, we are not grateful for our gains,” he added.

On June 19, Dr Mahathir allegedly said that Johor once owned Singapore and the state should claim for Singapore to be returned.

Tun Dr Mahathir had also reportedly said the Malaysian government deemed it more valuable that they won control over the islands of Sipadan and Ligitan off Borneo against Indonesia at the International Court of Justice, while giving up a piece of rock "the size of a table".