Suhakam commissioner: Why can Malaysia fight discrimination elsewhere but not at home?

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph has questioned why fighting discrimination in Malaysia by ratifying the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) has become an issue, when the country is active in combating discrimination in other parts of the world.

"How is it possible that Malaysia, as a country which is actually very strong on fighting racial discrimination in so many parts of the world... when it comes to Malaysia, there is a polemic line that we have no need to uphold the elimination of racial discrimination?

"Malaysia is a defender of minorities in the world. We are defenders of the Palestinians, the Rohingyas," Joseph said during the 'Icerd: Should We Ratify?' forum at the Malaysian Freedom Summit held in Parliament today.

Icerd came under the spotlight after Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin asked Parliament in October how the ratification of the convention would affect Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

In September, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the UN General Assembly that Malaysia will ratify six core treaties soon.

After Khairy brought up the issue, Umno and PAS had repeatedly voiced objections against signing the treaty, although it was pointed out multiple times that it was non-binding and would not affect the Federal Constitution.

The government eventually said the Pakatan Harapan government had decided against ratifying Icerd.

However, an anti-Icerd rally, which is jointly organised by PAS and Umno and set to be held in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8, will go on as planned.

Lawyer Lukman Sheriff, who was also one of the panellists at the forum, disagreed with Joseph, saying that he is against ratifying Icerd because the decision appeared to be made in a rush without engaging stakeholders and because it contradicts the Federal Constitution.

"It involves a lot of stakeholders. A lot of people disagreed when it was announced to be ratified in the first quarter (of 2019) without discussions with the public (and) with the rulers.

“There should be a discussion if it involves a lot of stakeholders. But there was none. That’s why many were curious," Lukman, who is the founder of non-governmental organisation Malaysian Lawyers Circle, said during the forum.

Ratifying Icerd would also affect a lot more than just the oft-discussed Article 153, he said, adding that it would also involve matters in the constitution relating to the Malays and bumiputera reserve land, Malay army regiment and the Orang Asli rights.

However, Joseph later criticised this by saying Lukman was merely making up excuses, even though the latter had said earlier that he was also against racial discrimination. - Mkini