.JPG "Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a press conference at the Prime Ministeru00e2u20acu2122s Office in Putrajaya April 5, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyana")
KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — The world will still condemn Malaysia for any “excessive” action whether or not the government ratifies the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
The prime minister had earlier announced that the government is withdrawing from ratifying the Rome Statute after political pressure from critics whom he blamed for creating public unease and confusion over what the international treaty is about.
“Even if you don’t sign the Statute of Rome, if you do something excessive, like you prevent people from being gay and all that, by collecting all of them and lining them against before wall and shooting them, that would be excessive.
“But if they are only taken in because they break the law of this country — not the laws of UN, but the laws of this country — then the UN Statute of Rome does not come into play and action will be taken against us,” he told a news conference in Putrajaya that was also broadcast “live”.
“So it is whether we are willing and able to implement the laws regarding excessiveness, then the Statue of Rome would apply. But when we are excessive, regardless whether we sign or don’t sign, the whole world will condemn us. That is the situation,” Dr Mahathir added.
He said that critics of the treaty have confused the masses, by alleging that the Rome Statute negates the rights of the Malays and the Sultans.
“This is absolute nonsense. They (United Nations) can’t possibly come and depose our King because somebody under him, some soldier, might have shot somebody,” he said, adding that this was because the King is not part of the executive, and only acts on the advice of the prime minister.
Dr Mahathir said should Malaysia ever engage in any excessive deed, it is he who would he held liable. However, he pointed out that this is another far-fetched notion, as Malaysia, nor he, engage in any deadly attacks or forsake the people, especially the Malays.
“Of course, they can come and take action against me, but for what? Am I going to kill people? Am I going to take away the privilege of the Malays? I was the one who helped the Malays more than anyone else, until I was known as ultra-Malay.
“But now, they are trying to damage that image, because they can make no progress politically,” he added.
When reporters asked later why the Rome Statute was not tabled in Parliament to be debated before ratifying it, Dr Mahathir said that the government saw no harm in ratifying the treaty as the government was not going to engage in excessive actions.
“It is a normal thing and we are not going to be excessive in the exercise of power of the government. We are not going to beat people, we are not going to jail people for no reason like the previous government. We are not going to massacre people. So it was harmless to us, and in future also, they will be prevented from doing these things because we have signed this statute,” he added.
Dr Mahathir announced that Cabinet has decided to withdraw Malaysia’s accession to the Rome Statute, a treaty that establishes the International Criminal Court (ICC), which investigates crimes like genocide and war crimes.
Dr Mahathir said the PH government’s decision to withdraw, just weeks after it acceded to the ICC, was made because of public confusion, as he accused detractors of trying to create a row between the royalty and the government.
Over 100 countries are party to the ICC that probes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression that are committed either in the territory of a state party or by a citizen of a state party.
Dr Mahathir said the government still strongly believes that the Rome Statute is a positive international treaty that should be ratified.
