Lim criticised PAS and Umno MPs over the commotion in Parliament on Monday when they harangued Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy, who is seen as the prime mover behind Putrajaya’s plan to ratify ICERD. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — All but two of the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) have ratified an anti-discrimination treaty that PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang claims Muslims must reject, said Lim Kit Siang.



The Iskandar Puteri MP then asked how it was that the majority of the Muslim world was convinced to sign the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) if Hadi’s claim were true.



“If ratification of ICERD means condemnation of the Muslims to a life of injustice and oppression, can Hadi expain why 48 of 50 countries where Muslims make up a majority of the population have ratified ICERD?” Lim said in a statement today.



Malaysia and Brunei are the two remaining OIC holdouts on ICERD.



Lim also criticised PAS and Umno MPs over the commotion in Parliament on Monday when they harangued Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P. Waytha Moorthy, who is seen as the prime mover behind Putrajaya’s plan to ratify ICERD.



ICERD signatories commit to ending all forms of racial discrimination in their countries, which some such as PAS and Umno take to mean a dismantling of pro-Bumiputera affirmative action and privileges here.



Malaysia’s Federal Constitution contains Articles that expressly touch on Bumiputera privileges, fuelling debate on whether these must be amended upon the ratification of ICERD.