Ummah: Permit or no permit, anti-Icerd rally will go on

Ummah, a coalition of Malay-Muslim NGOs, has pledged to gather at least 500,000 people at Dataran Merdeka on Dec 8, to protest against the proposed ratification of the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Its secretary-general Mansor Ibrahim said the protest against the UN instrument would proceed, even if they are not given the green-light by the authorities.

"We cannot ascertain how many NGOs will join the rally, but what is certain that more than 1,000 NGOs under Ummah will be there.

"We expect at least 500,000 people to turn up for the rally. Ummah, as the mobiliser of the protest, has submitted an application for a permit for the rally. Whether or not it is approved, the rally will proceed," Mansor told Malaysiakini when contacted.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had, on Nov 17, announced that their respective parties would hold a rally in the capital city, on Dec 8, against the Icerd.

Perkasa wants PM to make a stand

Meanwhile, right-wing Malay group Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to make a firm stand on the Icerd issue.

Ibrahim (photo, below) said Perkasa has yet to decide whether it will join the Umno and PAS rally, but stressed that his group is against the Icerd.

"The government is still flip-flopping on the issue. Dr Mahathir's statement is not clear... he says the Icerd cannot be finalised because there is no two-thirds parliamentary majority.

"Will the Icerd be ratified if there is a two-thirds majority? That's what we want to know, regarding the government's stance," Ibrahim said when contacted.

In September, Mahathir told the 73rd UN General Assembly that Malaysia would ratify all remaining international UN conventions after a thorough deliberation.

Later, de facto National Unity and Social Wellbeing Minister P Waythamoorthy announced that the government intended to ratify Icerd in the first quarter of 2019.

This triggered protests from various NGOs and politicians, who argued that ratifying the UN instrument would contravene Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which stipulates that special privileges are to be accorded to the bumiputera.

This is despite assurances from Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Suhakam and the Bar Council that ratifying the accord would not contravene the constitution.

Mahathir has since said that it is "almost impossible" to ratify Icerd as it entails amending the Federal Constitution, and the current government lacks the two-thirds parliamentary majority to make this happen. - Mkini