Zaid said Hishamudin Yunus, who was appointed to the post early last month, must exercise caution and “temper his enthusiasm”.

“To get Malaysia to ratify ICERD is like hoping Malaysia will win a gold medal in golf. Sorry, it’s tougher than that,” he said in a post on X today.

Instead, he said, Hishamudin can start by having Suhakam address the many other “less onerous” issues related to human rights such as those concerning police stations and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Zaid said police reports are often used to “justify” interrogations and Suhakam should ensure that false reports are not overlooked and do not go unpunished.

“Remand is quite effective in intimidating suspects,” he said, adding that Suhakam should ensure that the police and magistrates follow procedures relating to remand powers.

He also highlighted the dark and dirty detention rooms which “effectively intimidates suspects”.

“Get the police to clean the room and not put too many suspects in one single room,” he said.

Zaid also said Suhakam could examine MACC’s power to freeze the accounts of those under investigation.

“When limitless powers are given to our investigative authority, such broad powers cause hardship for many people,” he said, without mentioning any specific case.

“So, I urge Hishamudin to focus on how our police and MACC are exercising their powers in the people’s daily lives before embarking on ‘climbing Mount Everest’.

“I know that Napoleon (Bonaparte) said ‘nothing is impossible’, but he also said to do what is easier first.”

On Aug 8, Hishamudin expressed hope that Putrajaya would sign key international treaties, namely the ICERD and the 1951 Refugee Convention, before the end of his three-year tenure in July 2027.