Zahid said Umno strongly opposed Malaysia’s plan to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
“Do not disturb what is in the constitution, do not disturb the Muslims or equate Islam with the other religions, do not disturb the Malay Rulers, do not disturb Bahasa Melayu as the national language.
“We do not want to be racists or religious extremists, we (just) want the rights in the constitution be preserved,” he said in his speech at the “With Umno President” gathering here today.
He said he was not preventing others from practising their religions or their right to use their own languages, but he would defend what was already in the constitution.
Previously, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator P Waythamoorthy had said that the Pakatan Harapan government was committed to ratify six treaties, including ICERD, in the first quarter of next year.
He said this was not a commitment from him alone but also from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Meanwhile, Zahid launched the Umno election machinery for the Rantau constituency in anticipation of a by-election for the seat.
He said although no ruling had been made on the election petition for the seat, the election machinery was launched to ensure its members would be prepared.
“Moreover, generally all those present here are grassroots members from Rembau, so the launching of the election machinery today is timely,” he said after the event.
Also present were Umno deputy presiden Mohamad Hasan, vice-presidents Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Mahdzir Khalid, and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.
PKR candidate for the Rantau seat Dr S Streram filed a petition on May 23, naming Mohamad as the first respondent, Election Commission (EC) returning officer Amino Agus as the second respondent, and the EC as the third respondent.
Mohamad won the seat unopposed after Amino allegedly refused to allow Streram into the nomination centre on April 28 because he did not have a valid pass issued by the EC.
However, Streram claimed that the EC failed to inform him about the pass when he was getting the nomination papers and paying his deposit as a candidate.
In the election petition, the anaesthesiologist sought for a by-election to be held for the Rantau seat, claiming that its incumbent had not won the seat legitimately.
Zahid said in his speech that he would be spending time in Rantau to assist Mohamad in the event of a by-election.
Mohamad said the court might decide on the election petition for the Rantau seat next week.
On another development, he said Khairy, who chairs Barisan Nasional’s shadow Cabinet’s Finance Portfolio Committee, would be presenting the opposition’s Alternative Budget 2019 in the Dewan Rakyat next Monday.