Kemuka keterangan baharu, mahkamah tangguh rayuan RCI Batu Puteh Dr M

In June 2024, the Malaysian High Court sanctioned former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to initiate a motion for inspection of the inquiry by the Royal Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (RCI) concerning Batu Puteh. The appeal to the Court of Appeal against the RCI's decision to deny Mahathir the right to be represented by counsel during the proceedings was, however, dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

The three-judge panel, comprising Azizul Azmi Adnan, Hakim Ong Chee Kwan, and Radzi Harun, set a date of September 10 for managing the case, granting the counsel involved a two-week period to file the report. The panel also included Judge Ong Chee Kwan and Radzi Harun. Mahathir challenged the RCI's decision, arguing that it infringed upon his right to obtain legal representation under the Anti-Corruption Agency Act 1950.

The High Court ruled in Mahathir's favor in June 2024 to allow the inspection motion to begin in challenging the RCI's decision. However, in January of the previous year, the High Court rejected Mahathir's motion for inspection, which sought to challenge the RCI's decision to prohibit him or his counsel from attending the proceedings related to the inquiry.

No cost was specified. During the inter partes hearing in 2024, Zainur contended that the anti-corruption inquiry violated Section 18 of the Anti-Corruption Agency Act 1950. Section 18 grants any individual whose conduct is the subject of the inquiry, or any other person involved and interested in the matter under investigation, the right to be represented by counsel during the inquiry proceedings.

Zainur stated that Mahathir should have been allowed to appear and be represented by counsel because he was the principal subject of the inquiry. "Failing to comply with this provision renders the proceedings invalid. Consequently, the findings contained in the report submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong are null and void," he said.

However, Senior Attorney General Shamsul Bolhassan argued that Mahathir's motion was academic in nature as the RCI's report had already been submitted to the Agong. The relevant RCI report was classified and removed from the Parliament website on December 5, 2024, despite some parts of it being censored.