Dr M: Implementing ICERD 'almost impossible', requires amendment to Federal Constitution

PORT MORESBY (Bernama): Implementing the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) would entail amending the Federal Constitution, which is almost impossible, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic).

The Prime Minister pointed out that a two-thirds parliamentary majority was needed for this to happen.

This, he said, was nearly impossible with the current composition of the Dewan Rakyat from the government and the reaction shown over the matter from the opposition as well as members of the government.

"Only with the support from the opposition can we have a two-thirds majority, and even then government members themselves may not support (it). So I feel that it's almost impossible for us to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary (to amend the constitution)," he said.

Dr Mahathir was speaking to Malaysian media at the conclusion of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2018 meeting here.

It was reported that Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had expressed reservations about ratifying ICERD, as opposition parties planned to organise a joint rally next month against it.

Dr Mahathir acknowledged that ICERD was sensitive to Malaysia's Malay community and that the government was not rejecting the views expressed by the people on the matter.

"This matter is sensitive to the Malays, we understand that. In my speech at the United Nations (general assembly), I mentioned the complexity of implementing ICERD. So, we didn't commit that we are going to do it," he said.

Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Saturday (Nov 17) that the Malay-Muslim community would "run amok" to protest the Pakatan Harapan government's pledge to ratify ICERD.

To this, the Prime Minister said: "Unless Zahid stirs up trouble, there will be no riot (over ICERD)." – Bernama

Khairy: Umno members must accept the reality of 1MDB

PETALING JAYA: Umno members should accept the reality of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal as denial will continue to hurt the party, says Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.

In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Khairy said Umno members should not defend the 1MDB issue as there is nothing to defend.

"1MDB is not a perception or slander but it is indeed a case that has been proven in the United States. What is there to hide? Just admit it," he said.

Khairy said it will be difficult for Umno and Barisan Nasional to rise again as long as the 1MDB issue hangs over their heads.

He discredited the notion that 1MDB was beneficial to the rakyat through the pilgrimage sponsorship programme, saying that doing charitable work does not cancel the crime.

"We cannot cleanse the sins of our robbery by using a part of our loot to do good," he said.

He said Umno members should not live in denial.

"If we continue to deny the reality, I feel the impact on Umno is worse. Because the rakyat will say, they have lost and have been exposed, but they still do not want to accept."

Khairy said he prefers to be realistic about the situation despite allegations that he is an opportunist.

"When we are faced with this reality and we do not want to embrace the reality, something is wrong.

"Those who still want to support, give excuses and deny the reality, they are in fact the biggest liability to Umno," he added.

On speculations that Umno members are seeking to switch parties, Khairy said he is sticking with the party.

"If the Umno ship is sinking or everyone has jumped off the ship, I will probably be the last sailor onboard to go down together with the ship," Khairy said.

Khairy admitted that one of the reasons Umno is struggling to recover from its loss at GE14 was due to the lack of funds.

He said Umno used to be "all about the money", where things are not able to happen without money.

"Now we have to think about how to manage the party without money. There are many ways to do it, we can have public funding, low-cost programmes with high impact, we can use social media.

"For me, this is the best time for us to rewrite the way we do politics and to re-teach a new generation of how to conduct politics without money," he added.- Star

Anwar calls out Baru Bian over unexplained absence at PKR Congress Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/11/18/anwar-calls-out-baru-bian-over-unexplained-absence-at-pkr-congress/#05zcYwraegRi6tUO.99

SHAH ALAM: Works Minister and Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian (pic) was one of the party leaders who was noticeable absent during the three-day PKR National Congress, with no reason given, says newly-installed president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said he did not know why Baru was absent.

"Baru Bian, I don't know, he did not give a reason, that's why I called out this behaviour in my speech," Anwar said in a press conference after the Congress which ended earlier Sunday (Nov 18).

Two other party leaders and ministers – Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar – were also absent from the Congress, but were on official duties overseas.

"Saifuddin is with the Prime Minister's entourage in Papua New Guinea (for the Apec Summit), while Xavier is leading an international delegation (to Egypt)," said Anwar.

Anwar, who is also Port Dickson MP, also touched on the issue of the PKR's de facto leader (Ketua Umum) position.

"The position has never been in the party constitution and was just a resolution.

"Now we have the Party Advisory Council, chaired by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail," Anwar said, but did not elaborate on the position.

Anwar had assumed the role of PKR de facto leader for over 10 years, dating back to early 2008.

When asked about the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Anwar said the government needs to assure Malays that they will not lose their special position, nor will the position of the Malay Rulers and Malay language be undermined.

"People want to know that their rights are protected as enshrined in the Constitution," said Anwar.

He hit out at PAS and Umno, whom he said were exploiting the ICERD issue to create the impression that the Malay position would be compromised.

"It's purely hypocritical of them to play up the issue of Malay rights when they condoned the excesses of the past, squandering of billions of ringgit in 1MDB funds," Anwar said, while also pointing to the mismanagement of Felda and other agencies during Barisan Nasional's era.

The party, he said during the press conference, also needs to move on from the Julau PKR membership controversy.

During his speech at the congress, he pledged that PKR and its members would cooperate with bodies such as the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission investigating into alleged wrongdoing in the recent party election.- Star

IF INDONESIA, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN CAN – WHY MALAYSIA CANNOT? IN SHAMEFUL ADMISSION, MAHATHIR SAYS ‘ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE’ TO IMPLEMENT ICERD – BUT ARE HIS MALAY LEADERS, PAKATAN MINISTERS WORKING HARD ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN THE ISSUES, SET RECORD STRAIGHT WITH MALAYS & MUSLIMS – BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ABOUT ICERD ALONE

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says it will be almost impossible to implement international convention on racial discrimination.

The Prime Minister said the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) involves amending the Federal Constitution.

To do that, it would need a two-thirds majority from Parliament, Dr Mahathir told Malaysian media after concluding his two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation sojourn here on Sunday.

This was almost impossible given the current number of Members of Parliament from the government as well reaction from both the opposition and government members over the matter, he added.

Senior officials of Pakatan Harapan component parties such as Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman were reportedly against ICERD if constitutional rights and national harmony were affected.

Top leaders from PAS and Umno, meanwhile, reportedly agreed to hold a joint rally on December 8 to protest plans to ratify it.

Last night, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned Putrajaya the Malay-Muslim community would run “amuk” to protest the government’s pledge to ratify ICERD.

In response, Dr Mahathir assured the public that no chaos would erupt, unless instigated by the Umno president.

“Unless Zahid stirs up trouble, there will be no riot over ICERD,” he stressed.

Dr Mahathir said ICERD was sensitive to the Malays.

“We can discuss about the matter because we are not rejecting the views of the people.

“In my speech at the United Nations (general assembly in September), I mentioned about the complexity of ICERD but we didn’t commit about implementing it, whether fully or partially.”

Malaysia is among a handful of countries that have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.

The treaty provides individuals worldwide with a mechanism for complaints over issues of racial discrimination, among others, and is enforceable against member states.

Several groups said ratifying ICERD would undermine the special position of the Malays, including provisions to allow quotas in public institutions.

NST

ZAHID GETS A REAL WARNING FROM MAHATHIR HE WOULD BE STUPID TO IGNORE: ‘THERE WILL BE NO RIOT – UNLESS ZAHID STIRS UP TROUBLE,’ DR M ON UMNO CHIEF’S ‘MILLIONS OF MALAYS TO RUN AMOK OVER ICERD’ VEILED THREAT

PORT MORESBY — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has assured the public today that no chaos will erupt over Putrajaya’s effort to ratify an international treaty against racial discrimination, unless instigated by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The prime minister acknowledged the sensitivity of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) to the Malays, but stressed that the government will listen to public opinion.

“Unless Zahid stirs up trouble, there will be no riot,” Dr Mahathir told a press conference at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2018 Summit here.

Last night, Zahid had threatened in a protest against the ICERD with PAS, that the Malay-Muslim community will “run amok” if the convention is ratified.

MALAY MAIL

AZIZAH TO STAY PKR’S CHOICE FOR DPM – WHILE ANWAR GETS ADVICE HE BADLY NEEDS TO HEED: COME UP WITH WAYS & MEANS TO RECLAIM THE NARRATIVE ON MALAY & MUSLIM ISSUES, DON’T KOW-TOW OR BLOW WITH THE UMNO, PAS WIND – ESPECIALLY WHEN APPEARING ON NATIONAL TV

PKR passed a motion for outgoing party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to stay as deputy prime minister until Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister.

Party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said as per an agreement in Pakatan Harapan, Dr Wan Azizah would keep the post even though she did not have a party post.

“I propose a resolution that Wan Azizah remains DPM until a change of power happens. Do you agree?” he asked the more than 1,000 delegates in attendance.

The domestic trade and consumer affairs minister went on to ask the delegates to stand up if they agreed with him. He received a standing ovation.

Saifuddin said PKR as a ruling party needed to set its own narrative instead of getting trapped in issues brought up by the opposition, such as child marriage and Oktoberfest.  

“We need to reclaim the narrative from the opposition, who is trying to distract (us)”

According to the Pakatan Harapan agreement signed before GE14, Dr Mahathir Mohamad is to be prime minister and Dr Wan Azizah his deputy should the coalition succeed in winning power. The terms also name PKR president-elect Anwar as Dr Mahathir’s successor.

However, the appointment of ministers remains the prerogative of the sitting prime minister and not the party.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

GOOD WORK GOBIND! MALAYSIA JUMPS 10 SPOTS TO 26TH FASTEST INTERNET COUNTRY IN THE WORLD – THANKS TO ‘DECISIVE ACTION’ BY THE GOVT

KUALA LUMPUR: Most Malaysians can now enjoy significantly higher internet speed due to the decisive action taken by the government to improve the nation’s internet speed, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In a statement today, it said the result was acknowledged by The Speedtest Global Index (SGI) where in its internet speed survey, Malaysia rose 10 spots last month to become the 26th fastest country in the world with an average fixed speeds of 61.97 Mbps.

“This means that most Malaysians now enjoy significantly higher speeds. Further the government has met its promise to reduce the fixed high-speed broadband prices by 25% by end of 2018,” a statement from MCMC said.

It added that prices for entry-level packages have also been reduced by more than 30%.

According to MCMC chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak, that credit must also go to the Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo for making this issue his priority when taking office in May.

Gobind declared at the start of his term that he wanted local telcos to increase internet broadband speed while reducing the price.

Al-Ishsal said MCMC will continue to strictly monitor the offerings by telcos to ensure that consumers are assured of quality of service, high speeds and reasonable prices in the long term.

— Bernama