Nazri strongly against ratifying ICERD
UMNO MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz ( pic) will not accept the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), saying that it goes against the country’s national policies.
“For Malaysia, there is this positive discrimination against the bumiputra.
“So if we sign it, then we are obliged to get rid of all the systems – which we are not able to do so because it is already in the Constitution.
“There is also a historical aspect to this, so my answer is no,” he said at the Parliament lobby.
The former law minister said as a Malay and a Muslim, he has never questioned the rights of other races.
“So can I accept it if I was told that my rights (as a bumiputra) will be stripped due to discrimination? The answer is no.”
Umno’s legal bureau head Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who has submitted a motion for the Dewan Rakyat to debate the issue, said ICERD should be debated in Parliament before it is ratified.
This is because ICERD involves the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Malays as well as the people of Sabah and Sarawak, she added.
At the Dewan Rakyat, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorty said that the government has given its assurance that it will not abolish Article 153 of the Federal Constitution if it decides to ratify ICERD.
He said that Malaysia’s commitment towards conventions under the United Nations is realistic, practical, can be complied with and does not contradict the aspirations of the Federal Constitution.
The ICERD is a UN convention which commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races.
Several groups have opposed ICERD, saying that it contravened the Constitution, particularly Article 153, which touches on the special rights of the Malays and the bumiputra.
Waytha said consultations will be held next year to get legal opinions and intellectual views from within and outside of the country.
“There will be no set timeline for the consultation process by the government,” he said, adding that more dialogues and discussions are needed, including legal opinion on whether Malaysia can ratify ICERD.