Malaysia’s Mahathir dumps pledge to ratify UN treaty on racial discrimination amid domestic backlash

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has dumped a pledge to ratify a UN treaty against racial discrimination amid intense pressure from Malays, who claim it would jeopardise controversial race-based affirmative action policies that benefit them.

The government confirmed on Friday that it would not adopt the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in the latest in a series of controversial U-turns on key election promises.

The move comes after Mahathir said that plans to ratify the treaty could be abandoned as it would be near-impossible to secure a necessary amendment to the federal constitution without a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

In a brief statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said the government would continue to uphold the constitution, which includes a “social contract” agreed upon by all races during the nation’s formation.

“ICERD promotes freedom and less discrimination. Article 153 [of the constitution] gives some privileges to indigenous peoples and so some may interpret it as being discriminatory,” Mahathir told media on Thursday. “If we try to abolish these privileges it will go against Article 153.”

The Malaysian leader said that the article, which mandates preferential treatment for the Malay majority in some areas, could not be amended as some members of his ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition disagreed with the convention.

In September, Mahathir had told the UN General Assembly that Malaysia would ratify all outstanding human rights conventions.