Police investigate Hadi after strong defence of Mahathir over Batu Puteh

Police have now turned against Abdul Hadi Awang following the PAS president's defence of Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the wake of calls from government leaders to press criminal charges against the former prime minister, as recommended in a controversial report accusing him of ending Malaysia's pursuit of the Batu Puteh case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said Hadi would be investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for "causing public concern".

The influential PAS chief recently dismissed attacks against Mahathir as a ploy to cover up the past mistakes of "some short-sighted people" who he said had ceded Batu Puteh island to Singapore.

He also described calls for the 99-year-old to be prosecuted as a charade played by Malays who are subservient to DAP.

"Interestingly, the extras (actors) are the Malays in Pakatan Harapan (PKR, PAN and DAP Malays) and UMDAP (Umno, the slave of DAP).

"As for DAP, while it is known for its outspokenness, it does not need to speak out because it has its slaves," Hadi wrote.

He said the loss of Batu Puteh was nothing compared to how the British took over Singapore from the Malays.

"It is just a small coral rock that is being enlarged with the aim of deceiving a people who have already been deceived," Hadi said, adding that throughout history, lands belonging to Muslims have been stolen through colonial machinations, facilitated by Muslims' indifference to power and politics.

The government-backed Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge recently recommended that Mahathir be investigated under the Penal Code for the 2018 Cabinet decision to withdraw Malaysia’s application for a review of the ICJ's decision to award Batu Puteh island to Singapore.

Mahathir dismissed the report, stating that it was a collective Cabinet decision in 2018, which also involved Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's wife and then deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP leader Anthony Loke and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu.

The trio's claim that they were not consulted on the decision is contradicted by minutes of the meeting, which show that they were among 13 ministers who agreed with Malaysia's decision not to appeal to the ICJ.

A motion to debate the matter in the Dewan Rakyat last week was met with fierce opposition from both the opposition and at least two ruling party MPs, who warned the Anwar government against abusing Parliament for personal vendettas.