SEREMBAN: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's claim that "someone" was attempting to oust him by pitting the Rulers against him over the Rome Statute issue is in reference to someone from a Royal family, says PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The prime minister-in-waiting said this when asked by reporters if Dr Mahathir's claim in his press conference on Friday (April 5) referred to someone within Pakatan Harapan.

Anwar replied that Dr Mahathir was very specific in his statement on Friday (April 5), and did not refer to anyone from the coalition but someone from a royal family instead.

"The media is rather naughty for making that sort of interpretation.

"The statement was very specific. The Prime Minister was making reference to a specific attempt by a particular personality from a Royal family, and there was no reference to party personnel.

"We need to be careful not to cast aspersions beyond what Dr Mahathir said. It was clear to me because when we had our discussion together, he did elaborate," Anwar told reporters after meeting army veterans at Bandar Sri Sendayan near here on Saturday (April 6).

Anwar said that the government's stand on the Rome Statute was clear, but that there was a need to take into account new views on the matter, including from the Rulers.

He said that there was a need to explain to Malaysians further about Rome Statute, as there were some concerns about the government ratifying the treaty.

"I have explained to the Prime Minister in our meeting on Friday (April 5) that the principle of the Rome Statute is to based on changes and transparent rule of law.

"But we also need to accept the reality that there are some issues and concerns that need to be addressed.

"Just like the International Covenant Against All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) issue, negative interpretation by the opposition must also be taken into account, and the truth must be explained," he said.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which would prosecute perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression.

The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based international criminal court, with the objective of ending impunity for perpetrators of the most serious crimes known to the international community.

It was established in 2002 and is governed by the Rome Statute.