Anwar: PKR is against racial discrimination, but backs Putrajaya’s decision to not ratify ICERD

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — PKR is against racial discrimination but it also supports Putrajaya decision to not ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

News portal The Malaysian Insight quoted the PKR president as saying that the fears of some Malays with regards to the ICERD was likely due to their own reading of the convention.

“The Malays feared that their special privileges would be undermined if Putrajaya endorsed ICERD,” Anwar reportedly said at an event in Kota Kinabalu today.

“PKR has made its views clear on the ICERD at the recent presidential council meeting that, in principle, we support anti-racial discrimination.

“But maybe due to the interpretation of the ICERD, it had caused fear among communities in the country,” he added.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim had said that 55,000 participants were present at the anti-ICERD rally which was organised by Muslim groups, PAS and Umno.

Among the Opposition leaders present at the event were former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.