The peaceful holding of the Anti-ICERD rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday is a victory for New Malaysia but a setback for Pakatan Harapan.

As the Home Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin rightly said after the rally, it was a demonstration that the Pakatan Harapan government will always respect the rights of the people to speak and assemble peacefully, as long as these rights are practised according to the provisions of the law and the Federal Constitution.

The former UMNO/Barisan Nasional government will never have recognised, respected and upheld the constitutional and democratic right of Malaysians to speak and assemble peacefully, as witnessed what happened to the five Bersih rallies from 2007 to 2016 – Bersih 1 on 10th November 2007, Bersih 2 on 9th July 2011,Bersih 3 on 28th April 2012, Bersih 4 on 29th and 30th 2015 and Bersih 5 on 19th November 2016.

But there is a major hitch – the organisers of the of the Anti-ICERD rally in Kuala Lumpur did not want a New Malaysia, which was born on the historic day of May 9, 2018, to re-set Malaysian nation-building policies to save Malaysia from the trajectory of a rogue democracy, a failed state, a kakistocracy and a global kleptocarcy and awaits Malaysians to give it flesh, blood and soul to be a world top-class nation, united, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous – which may take one or two decades to accomplish.

The organisers of the Anti-ICERD rally came to destroy and not to create a New Malaysia.

I said it was a setback for the Pakatan Harapan to build a New Malaysia because yesterday’s rally would not have happened if the Pakatan Harapan government had handled the ICERD issue better.

As constitutional law expert from the University of Malaya, Professor Shad Faruqi, has stressed, most of the criticisms against ICERD have no legal basis.

He said: “However, as hate and fear are potent weapons in politics, the perpetrators have succeeded in polarising society and raising the spectre of violence.”

As Shad Faruqi has pointed out, ICERD is neither anti-Malay nor against the Malaysian Constitution.

Since yesterday, Malaysia has become the laughing stock of the Muslims in the world, as 99% of the 1.9 billion Muslims of the world live in 179 countries which have ratified ICERD, including 55 of the 57 Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) nations.

UKM Research fellow, Dr. Denison Jayasooria wrote a good article in Malaysiakini entitled: “Examining Icerd ratification among OIC members”, where he reviewed the ratification by OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Palestine, and he concluded: “As far as I note none of them has objections or placed reservations in the name of Islam.”

ICERD also does not undermine the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to result in the abolition of the system of Malay Sultans.

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.

But as Malaysia is a plural society, it is of utmost importance that the unity and harmony of our diverse races, languages, cultures and religions in Malaysia must be the paramount goal of the nation.

For this reason, Malaysia should not ratify ICERD until the majority of the races and religions in Malaysia are comfortable with it, support it and understand that it poses no threat to the various races, religions or the Federal Constitution but a step forward to join the world in promoting human rights.

The Pakatan Harapan Government should not have allowed the organisers of the anti-ICERD rally to hijack, twist and distort the ICERD debate with the toxic politics of lies, hate, fear, race and religion to incite baseless fears that ICERD is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, which camouflaged an agenda to allow those responsible for sending Malaysia into the trajectory of a rogue democracy, a failed state, a kakistocracy and a global kleptocracy to make a political comeback and to destroy efforts to re-set nation-building efforts to create a New Malaysia.

This is a lesson the Pakatan Harapan Government must learn quick and fast, or both Pakatan Harapan and the great vision of a New Malaysia will be destroyed.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskander Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Ipoh on Sunday, December 9, 2018)

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Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Ipoh pada Ahad, 9 Disember 2018:

Himpunan Anti-ICERD adalah satu kemenangan kepada Malaysia Baharu, namun suatu rintangan kepada Pakatan Harapan

Perhimpunan Anti-ICERD yang dijalankan secara aman di Kuala Lumpur semalam adalah satu kemenangan kepada Malaysia Baharu, namun suatu rintangan kepada Pakatan Harapan.

Kerajaan UMNO/Barisan Nasional sebelum ini tidak pernah mengiktiraf, menghormati dan mengangkat hak perlembagaan dan demokratik rakyat Malaysia untuk bersuara dan berhimpun secara aman, seperti yang dilihat berlaku dalam lima perhimpunan yang dianjurkan Bersih dari 2007 hingga 2016 – Bersih 1 pada 10 November 2008, Bersih 2 pada 9 Julai 2011, Bersih 3 pada 28 April 2012, Bersih 4 pada 29 dan 30 Ogos 2015 dan Bersih 5 pada 19 November 2016.

Pun begitu, terdapat satu masalah besar – pihak penganjur Anti-ICERD di Kuala Lumpur tidak mahu sebuah Malaysia Baharu, yang lahir pada hari penuh bersejarah iaitu pada 9 Mei 2018.

Pihak penganjur Anti-ICERD hadir untuk memusnahkan, dan bukannya mencipta, sebuah Malaysia Baharu.

Mengapa ia dikatakan suatu rintangan kepada Pakatan Harapan untuk membina sebuah Malaysia Baharu adalah kerana perhimpunan semalam tidak akan berlaku sekiranya kerajaan Pakatan Harapan menangani isu ICERD dengan lebih berkesan.

Seperti yang ditegaskan seorang pakar undang-undang perlembagaan dari Universiti Malaya, Profesor Shad Faruqi bahawa kebanyakan kritikan terhadap ICERD tidak mempunyai sebarang asas perundangan.

Beliau berkata: “Bagaimanapun, oleh kerana kebencian dan ketakutan adalah senjata ampuh dalam politik, pihak tidak bertanggungjawab telah berjaya mempolarisasi masyarakat dan menghidupkan bayang-bayang keganasan.”

Seperti yang dinyatakan Shad Faruqi, ICERD tidak bersifat anti-Melayu atau menentang Perlembagaan Malaysia.

Sejak semalam, Malaysia telah menjadi bahawa ketawa orang Islam di seluruh dunia, kerana 99% daripada 1.9 bilion orang Islam di seluruh negara menetap di 179 negara yang telah meratifikasi ICERD, termasuk 55 daripada 57 negara Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam (OIC).

Felo Penyelidikan UKM, Dr. Denison Jayasooria menulis artikel di Malaysiakini bertajuk: “Examining Icerd ratification among OIC members”, di mana beliau mengulas ratifikasi ICERD oleh negara-negara OIC, termasuk Arab Saudi, Indonesia, Turki, Mesir, Iran, Palestin, dan membuat kesimpulan: “Tidak ada satu pun daripada negara-negara itu menentang ICERD atas nama Islam.”

ICERD juga tidak menjejaskan kuasa Yang di-Pertuan Agong apatah lagi menyebabkan pemansuhan sistem Kesultanan Melayu.

Terdapat 38 negara yang mengamalkan sistem monarki, 36 daripadanya telah meratifikasi ICERD termasuk United Kingdom in 1969, Norway 1970, Sweden 1971, Denmark 1971, Belanda 1971, Jordan 1974, Belgium 1975, Jepun in 1995, and Arab Saudi 1997.

Ini adalah bukti yang jelas bahawa ratifikasi ICERD oleh 36 negara-negara berkenaan tidak menjejaskan sistem monarki, apatah lagi membawa kepada pemansuhannya.

Namun, oleh kerana Malaysia mempunyai masyarakat majmuk, adalah penting untuk perpaduan dan kehormanian pelbagai kaum, bahasa, budaya dan agama di Malaysia menjadi matlamat paling utama.

Oleh sebab ini, Malaysia tidak harus meratifikasi ICERD sehingga majoriti kaum dan agama di Malaysia selesa dengannya, menyokonnya dan memahami apa yang dibawanya itu tidak mengancam kepelbagaian kaum, agama atau Perlembagaan Persekutuan, namun satu langkah ke hadapan untuk menyertai dunia dalam mempromosi hak asasi manusia.

Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan tidak harus membenarkan penganjur anti-ICERD merampas dan memutarbelitkan wacana ICERD dengan politik toksik pembohongan, kebencian, ketakutan, perkauman dan agama bagi mengapi-apikan ketakutan tidak berasas bahawa ICERD kononnya anti-Melayu, anti-Islam dan anti-Raja-raja Melayu, yang sebenarnya merupakan agenda samaran untuk membolehkan mereka yang bertanggungjawab memusnahkan negara membuat comeback politik dan memusnahkan usaha untuk membetulkan semula dasar pembinaan negara dalam usaha mewujudkan sebuah Malaysia Baharu.

Ini adalah pengajaran yang perlu dihadam secepat mungkin oleh Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan, atau kedua-dua Pakatan Harapan dan visi besar Malaysia Baharu berdepan bakal berdepan risiko musnah.

– Lim Kit Siang