Malaysia’s leaders backtrack on ratifying UN human rights treaty
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian government leaders are backpedalling on a plan to ratify a United Nations human rights treaty after facing resistance from Malay and Muslim organisations, and with the main opposition parties Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) united against the issue.
Those opposed to the convention said that if the government ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, or ICERD, it would weaken the rights of Malays and Malay royalty, and dilute Islam’s position in Malaysia.
The two top leaders of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on Sunday signalled that the government was unlikely to ratify the treaty soon.
Once ratified, the convention requires the signatory UN state to set up legislation that prohibits racial discrimination and related acts. This could affect Malaysia’s longstanding bumiputera policy that reserves education and job spots for Malays and other indigenous races, as well as the primacy of Islam in the country and the special position of the nine royal houses.
Umno and PAS leaders met last Saturday and agreed to hold a big demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on December 8 to protest against the government’s plan to ratify the treaty.