IF Malaysia intends to ratify all remaining core United Nations instruments related to the protection of human rights, what will happen to Article 153 of the federal constitution, asked opposition MP Khairy Jamaluddin today.

He said the Foreign Ministry had solid reasons for not ratifying some conventions previously.

For instance, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination would contradict Article 153 of the constitution, which safeguards the special position of Malays and Sabah and Sarawak natives, and the legitimate interests of other communities.

Article 2 of the convention compels all state parties to immediately pursue a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all forms, including reviewing policies to amend, rescind or nullify laws that create racial discrimination.

“What implications will ratifying the convention have on our laws?” said the Rembau lawmaker in the Dewan Rakyat this afternoon.

“There’s no problem with the other conventions, except this one. I am not saying I agree or disagree, but do we realise the implications?”

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his speech at the UN General Assembly last month, had said “the new government of Malaysia has pledged to ratify all remaining core UN instruments related to the protection of human rights”.

In debating the speech, Khairy said only the part about ratifying UN conventions was new, and the rest was a “rehash” of old foreign policy.

Citing an example, he said the need to reform the UN Security Council had been raised for years in speeches by Malaysian leaders at the world body.

“The prime minister reiterated it this time.”

The former Umno Youth leader questioned whether Malaysia’s commitment to ensure plans to reform the Security Council will bear fruit.

He added that universal issues raised in Dr Mahathir’s speech were not new, such as the Rohingya crisis.

When Malaysia was Asean chairman in 2015, he said, the country had stated its objection to the ill treatment of the Rohingya in Rakhine, Myanmar, and organised government-backed humanitarian missions, like sending an aid flotilla and building a hospital in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya are seeking refuge.

“But when you say we want to take a stronger stand with Myanmar, no longer supporting state councillor Aung San Suu Kyi – then what action are we taking now?”

He said there should no longer be a “no interference” policy when it comes to the Rohingya issue, citing how Malaysia had reacted to the Bosnian War in the 1990s, which saw thousands of Muslims subjected to ethnic cleansing.

Malaysia had sent financial aid and arms to help the Bosnian Muslims.

“This (Rohingya issue) is the Bosnia of our generation. It’s at our doorstep. This is a genocide in Asean, in our neighbouring country,” said Khairy.

“We should not produce rhetoric or just send humanitarian missions, like the previous administration.

“I told the last cabinet that we have to take firm action against Myanmar by suspending its Asean membership.

“That’s what we can call firm action, a reform of our foreign policy, and not a mere reiteration.”

The former youth and sports minister said Dr Mahathir did not talk about China’s oppression of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang.

“The government’s position is still not clear here. If our international relations are to be based on ideals and morals, we must have an equal approach when it comes to the oppression of minorities, like what is happening in Rakhine and Xinjiang.

“There must be clarity and consistency.”

On the prime minister’s remarks that the Israel-Palestine conflict is the root cause of terror, Khairy disagreed, saying terror in the world today is “multi-dimensional” and caused by numerous factors.

He said the rise of the Islamic State was due to conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims, and that the Taliban’s return to Afghanistan was because the international community had failed to understand the issue of rivalry among local tribes. – October 15, 2018.