KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 — The government should discuss with more stakeholders before ratifying the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) before making any decision on the matter, activist Hishamuddin Rais said.
He said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration should not decide the ratification of the United Nations treaty without engaging the public sufficiently, amid protests by Malay-Muslim groups.
“They should first conduct town hall meetings and engage with the public before implementing or trying to implement any policies.
“You must discuss it first before you implement it. Such is the process of democracy,’’ he said at the “Apakah perlunya ICERD untuk Malaysia?” forum hosted by Forum Telawi at the International Islamic University Malaysia yesterday.
The government’s plan to ratify ICERD has received massive pushback from many groups, including Umno and PAS who claim that the ratification of the international convention goes against Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards Malays’ special position.
Hishamuddin said concerns from the Malay community on ICERD could stem from the manifestation of the “unresolved national question”, referring to the social contract of the nation.
He further stated that he was not confident the Malays have fully accepted other races as their countrymen.
Liga Pemuda secretary general Amir Abd Hadi said the government's failure to properly explain ICERD to the masses have allowed the conversation to turn “chaotic and scary.’’
“The government has failed to explain what ICERD is and engage with those who have a vested interest in the conversation such as the Malay Rulers.
“Their failure to do so has opened the way for those who survive on racial and religious lines to remain relevant in the political landscape of the country,’’ he said.
Another panellist, Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, said he agreed with the ratification of ICERD, but urged the government to ensure that the convention must not be in conflict with the Federal Constitution.
Faiz, who is the Amanah assemblyman for Permatang Pasir, said there was no need for the majority Malay-Muslim community to be afraid of the ratification of ICERD.
“Why is there a need to fear ICERD, as it is only a political ploy by certain parties which preys on racial and religious lines?
“The status of Islam and Malay has been enshrined in the Constitution, so there is no need to be afraid of ICERD,’’ he said.
Also present at the forum were political analyst Hasmi Hashim and Parliament Deputy Speaker Datuk Rashid Hasnon.
