Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Interesting to know that our country has not signed nor ratified this particular convention. No prizes for guessing the reason, which makes it difficult to implement the convention in our laws and legislations. As mentioned below, countries like Thailand and Laos are moving ahead in this matter.
The government must decide on its priorities with regards to inking the 1965 International Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
United Nations resident coordinator in Malaysia Kamal Maholtra said the government needs to decide internally and solve its constitutional contradiction before signing any UN convention.
“Apart from Article 153, there is a clause that provides for the equality and freedom to its citizens, therefore the government needs to decide on its priorities,” he told a press conference at the sidelines of a seminar in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Kamal was asked if the signing of ICERD will contradict with section 153 of the federal constitution which guarantees the special privileges of the bumiputera.
Nevertheless, he said the government is in fact looking into other aspects of the six conventions recommended by the UN which has not been signed by Malaysia.
In his speech earlier, Kamal disclosed that the government has only signed three and ratified two of the nine core international human rights treaties.
Malaysia has only signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Both were signed with reservations in 1995.
“In addition, Malaysia has also signed but not yet ratified the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” Kamal said.
On the issue of sustaining human rights, the UN coordinator is of the view that a strong culture must be embedded within Malaysians and this should start with young children.
“Human rights education should also be a continuous effort and it would be best if the education curriculum entrenches human rights issues as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, UN human rights officer Pablo Espiniella explained that some governments have reservations to sign and ratify conventions because of the fear that they cannot fulfil the requirements and therefore have to face international repercussions.
“The process is as such where after the government has signed and ratified any convention, there should be moves and efforts to assimilate these principles into local laws and legislation,” he said.
However, he said, the UN will hold dialogues, provide support and expertise to the government to implement the principles of the conventions once they are recognised.
Pablo also said that with Thailand signing seven out of the nine human rights conventions and Laos closely catching up, he hopes that this momentum will encourage the Malaysian government to do the same.
