On September 28, 2018, after a 15-year absence from the United Nations, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad made his return and repeated his call for a reform of the world body. Mahathir Mohamad in his speech in the 73rd Session of the General Assembly stated that the new Malaysia will firmly espouse the principles promoted by the UN in its international engagements. These include the principles of truth, human rights, the rule of law, justice, fairness, responsibility, and accountability, as well as sustainability. It is within this context that the new government of Malaysia has pledged to ratify all remaining core UN instruments related to the protection of human rights. It will not be easy for them because Malaysia is multi-ethnic, multireligious, multicultural and multilingual. They will accord space and time for all to deliberate and decide freely based on democracy. In line with the new aspiration, The Minister in Charge of Unity Waytha Moorthy whose portfolio included National Unity Consultative Council had carried out a public stakeholder to views and gather input from the public that would be taken into consideration and used as guidance in formulating a National Unity Action Plan to outline strategies, policies and programs including appropriate Acts to strengthen and improve social unity, cohesion and reconciliation amongst all Malaysians. Amongst the areas visited in formulating the National Unity Action Plan including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). The commitment was also shown by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Religious Affairs Datuk Mujahid Rawa and the Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah and Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at the United Nations General Assembly However, on answering the question on ICERD in Parliament on 19/11/2018, Minister Waytha Moorthy was heckled and branded as racist by the opposition party (UMNO and PAS) legislators on the pretext of that he is intending to abolish the affirmative actions for the majority Malay community in the country. The above speculative position taken by the opposition to the ICERD was rebutted by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Religious Affairs Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa stating that claims that the rights of the Malay community which was enshrined in the Federal Constitution, would be not be eroded should Malaysia ratify the treaty. Subsequently, an anti-ICERD rally was carried out by the opposition party UMNO and PAS on 8 December 2018. The demonstration that was organized by Malay-Muslim groups, PAS, and UMNO to protest against ICERD — even though the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government has decided not to ratify it.