ACCORDING to the law, any country, including Malaysia, can postpone the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) for a certain period, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Hanipa Maidin.

He said the matter would differ if the country had decided to not ratify the convention altogether.

“In terms of law, any country, not just Malaysia, can postpone (the ratification) for a period of time, unless the country decides to not (ratify it).

“There are no obstacles. The situation may change in the future. Maybe by then, PAS and Umno will request to ratify the ICERD,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.

On Friday, Putrajaya said that it would not ratify the convention and that the government will continue to defend the federal constitution “which contains the social contract agreed upon by all races during the formation of this nation”.

The ICERD became a hot issue after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy said it would be among the six human rights treaties the government is planning to ratify by the first quarter of 2019.

Malay rights groups against the convention, as well as Umno and PAS, will hold a massive rally in Kuala Lumpur on December 8 to show its gratitude to the government on its decision.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the decision to not ratify the convention was not handled properly.

He said it should be verified and signed by the prime minister, tabled to Parliament, and then recorded in the official hansard. – November 26, 2018.