Don’t ratify other UN treaties, says PAS

PETALING JAYA: Two days after the government decided not to be a signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), PAS has called on the Pakatan Harapan administration not to ratify other United Nations treaties.

PAS information chief Nasruddin Hassan (pic) said Putrajaya had previously promised to ratify six international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

“We cannot just look at ICERD but other treaties which pose a huge risk.

“Do they not threaten the nation too?” Nasruddin said at an anti-ICERD forum yesterday, according to Free Malaysia Today.

While the government had stated that it would not ratify ICERD, Nasruddin said Putrajaya should also declare its stand on other treaties and whether it would be a signatory to the agreements.

The news portal reported that certain groups, including the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), were pushing for the government to ratify the remaining treaties.

Malaysia has so far ratified three of nine core UN international human rights conventions.

“I brought this up as I do not want this matter to be manipulated and the government to ratify the other treaties,” Nasruddin was quoted as saying to the media recently.

Amid intense opposition from some Malay groups and political parties, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Friday to say that the government would not ratify ICERD and that it would continue to defend the Federal Constitution which included the “social contract agreed upon by representatives of all races during the founding of the nation”.