POLICE must monitor and not hesitate to clamp down on hate speeches in the growing uproar over the move to ratify an anti-racism international convention, said veterans’ group National Patriots Association (Patriot).

Opposition to the government’s intention to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) has led to a spate of “messages provoking hatred” and racial provocation which are meant to create disorder, said Patriot president Brig-Gen (rtd) Mohamed Arshad Raji.

“Patriot is concerned that the anti-ICERD protest has been used as a catalyst to possibly stage a planned riot and chaos in different parts of the country,” he said in a statement.

Arshad said even in the new climate of openness and freedom, there must be “a limit to free speeches”, especially when aimed at provoking hatred and racial riots.

He said speeches by the newly formed Malay rights group Gagasan 3 were intent on creating disorder in society and should be closely monitored.

“These so-called leaders of Gagasan 3 are nobodies and have never been seen to champion any issue of national importance. They are incapable of articulating issues, even of race and religion, in a civil and intelligent manner.

“Patriot urges the IGP (Fuzi Harun) and the police to monitor all the hate speeches and viral messages by the group out to create trouble.

“Nip the problem in the bud before things get out of control.”

ICERD has become a hotly debated issue since Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy said it would be one of six human rights treaties the government is hoping to ratify by the first quarter of 2019.

Malay rights groups, as well as Umno and PAS, have criticised the announcement and are planning to hold a massive street protest in Kuala Lumpur on December 8 to oppose the ratification.

Malaysia is one of only 14 countries which have yet to ratify the convention, including Myanmar, North Korea and Brunei. – November 23, 2018.