KUALA LUMPUR, 23 Nov 2018:
Police are urged to closely monitor all hate speeches and viralled messages pertaining to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by various groups – before things get out of control.
National Patriots Association (Patriot) president Brig-Jen (rtd) Datuk Mohamad Arshad Raji said the spate of incendiary speeches, news reports of planned demonstrations on Dec 8 – and messages provoking hatred circulating through the social media – in the last two weeks were cause for alarm.
“Patriot is very concerned that the anti-ICERD protest has been used as a catalyst to possibly stage planned riots and chaos in different parts of the country.
“There is increasing tempo of the anti-ICERD protest even after our Prime Minister has stated that we will not ratify the UN convention,” he said in a statement today.
The concerted attacks on DAP leaders and ‘bangsa DAP’, the accusations of the Deputy Defence Minister as a DAP spy and of the Finance Minister diverting funds for Malay students to Chinese temples, unconfirmed reports of bible distribution in Penang and Kedah, and the threat to instigate a May 13 racial strife were all connected happenings and not isolated events, he said.
Mohamad Arshad, who is also a member of the Institutional Reforms Committee, which was appointed by the government, said even in this era of New Malaysia, there was a limit to free speech.
The government will take into account the views and stand of all parties, in addition to conducting public engagements with government and opposition leaders in regard to ICERD, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy.
He said whatever decision was taken on ICERD, the government guaranteed that Article 153 of the Federal Constitution would not be amended or repealed.
“I have explained the government’s stand in relation to ICERD last Thursday and when winding up the 2019 Budget debate on Monday, I wish to state again that the government assures that Article 153 of the Federal Constitution would not be amended or repealed.
Article 153 refers to the special position of Islam as the religion of the federation, the institution of the Malays, rulers and bumiputera privileges.
“And if the ICERD needs to be ratified, then the stand, opinions and suggestions of all parties will be taken into account. We will hold public engagements with all government elected representatives and from the opposition, all together, then only will we take appropriate action (on ICERD),” he said when winding up debate on the 2019 Budget at the committee stage for the Prime Minister’s Department.
In contrast to his winding up on Monday – that saw him being attacked by MPs especially from the opposition bloc on the issue of ICERD – this time Waytha Moorthy’s winding up session proceeded in a calm manner.
Meanwhile, when met at the Parliament lobby, Waytha Moorthy said he was ready to assist investigations into a video clip going viral on social media, in which he had allegedly made disparaging remarks about the country, as if Malaysia was facing serious human rights violations.
“Yes, yes I’m willing to cooperate.”
– Bernama