The Pakatan Harapan government to build a New Malaysia suffered a setback yesterday when the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the government will not ratify the International Covenant Against All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and that it will continue to defend the Federal Constitution.
No Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify the ICERD at the price of another May 13 racial riot in the country, as there is no doubt that there are irresponsible elements which are seeking to incite and escalate racial and religious distrust, animosity and hatred to engender the conditions to replicate another May 13 racial riot in Malaysia.
Is ICERD against the Malaysian Constitution, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers?
There is no need to incite and escalate racial and religious doubts, animosity and hatred to create another May 13 racial riot, for I have no doubt that if ICERD is indeed anti-Malaysian Constitution, anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Sultans, the overwhelming majority of Malaysians, regardless of race or religiion would not want Malaysia to ratify ICERD.
I am still waiting for answer as whether 99 per cent of the 1.9 billion Muslims in the world, who live in countries which have ratified ICERD, are not genuine Muslims?
Why is Malaysia cutting itself off from the overwhelming majority of 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) as only Malaysia and Brunei are the only two of the 57 countries which have not ratified the ICERD?
There are 38 countries with the monarchical system, out of which 36 countries have ratified the ICERD including the United Kingdom in 1969, Norway 1970, Sweden 1971, Denmark 1971, Netherlands 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Japan in 1995, and Saudi Arabia 1997.
There are absolutely no indications that the ratification of ICERD by these 36 countries have undermined the monarchical system as to lead to their abolition.
The ICERD issue is a warning to all Malaysians that their “New Malaysia” vision which was the cause of the historic May 9, 2018 decision which saw a peaceful and democratic transition of power for the first in six decades, and gave hope to the world that democracy as a system of government to achieve freedom, justice and good governance for the people in the world, can still fail if we allow political opportunists and desperadoes to exploit the toxic politics of lies, hatred, race and religion to the extent of unleashing racial and religious conflicts.
(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at the Malaysian Association of Jiansu Annual Gala Dinner in Suchou, China on Saturday, November 24, 2018 at 8 pm)