Unrest in Malaysia: opposition parties out to show their strength

AS if out of nothing, race relations suddenly snapped in Malaysia. A riot ensued last week over the relocation of a Hindu temple in Selangor. And now that the temple issue is being slowly settled, attention is turning to a mega rally planned by two opposition parties in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.

The rally was originally organised as a protest against proposed accession to a UN human rights treaty on racial discrimination. Both Malaysia's theocratic party, known by its Malay acronym PAS, and Umno, the dominant partner in the previous ruling coalition, seized on the issue as a means to show their strength. And they plan to muster at least 500,000 Malay Muslims to the rally. The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has prudently backed off signing the international treaty.

Why did the newly elected PH government allow itself to be cornered like this? It was at the September UN General Assembly that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed pledged to "firmly espouse" the principles promoted by the UN. The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is one of nine core UN instruments related to the protection of human rights. Malaysia has ratified only three. As with many such UN treaties, the ICERD is an aspirational document that's not likely to have much of an effect on the lives of ordinary people. Or so the government seems to have reckoned. But UMNO, hitherto in disarray following its loss in the May general election, immediately seized on Dr Mahathir's speech. The party mobilised its supporters in the religious establishment and protest rallies began erupting around mosques after Friday prayers all over the country. The prime minister's pledge was twisted to make it seem as if he was out to vitiate Malay rights enshrined in the Malaysian constitution. Dr Mahathir repeatedly tried to allay concerns, saying that his coalition does not have the parliamentary numbers to amend the charter. In any event, there was no plan to do anything that would impinge on the special rights of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, he explained. It was in vain.

Umno, with several of its top leaders mired in corruption scandals, is bent on creating a distraction that would re-energise the party faithful. Arguably, a show of strength might stem the flow of defections among its members of parliament.

The theocrats of PAS seem to have spied an opportunity to push their Islamic agenda, following their failed attempt to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, which would have imposed hudud punishments. They made common cause with Umno. Together, the two parties seem determined to show that they are the real champions of Malay rights and that the Malays cannot do without them. Some far-right fringe groups have thrown their support for this rally as well and they point to the huge turnout for an Islamist march in Jakarta last week as the example to emulate.

The PH government is in a bind. It cannot ban the rally without appearing hypocritical, since many in the current ruling coalition were active rally organisers before the last election. At the same time, if the rally turns out to be as big as the organisers hope for, it would suggest that PH is bleeding support from a crucial section of the electorate. Singaporeans and other foreign visitors to Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia generally, should take heed of the domestic tensions until the issue blows over.