KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 ― The National Human Rights Society (Hakam) applauded the prime minister's commitment to ratify all core human rights treaties at his speech in the UN General Assembly yesterday.

However, Hakam in a statement said "religion, race and culture should never be used as a justification for condoning discrimination, injustice and suffering.”

While acknowledging that consultation with all stakeholders in the country is a must, and that the way forward will not be easy as Dr Mahathir Mohamad said in his speech, Hakam wants the government to take immediate steps to:

Ratify, without reservations, all key international human rights conventions, which include:

(i) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR);

(ii) The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);

(iii) The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination;

(iv) The UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment;

(v) The International Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families;

(vi) The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; and

(vii) The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

Remove all reservations in the international human rights conventions which it has ratified, which include:

(i) The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC);

(ii) The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); and

(iii) The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).