PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said there was no point in Putrajaya making numerous statements and talking about the need to conduct studies on the matter.
“The people only want to hear one thing: that the government rejects the ICERD,” he said at a joint press conference in Parliament.
This comes just hours after the Dewan Rakyat descended into chaos over a speech by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waytha Moorthy on the ICERD.
Opposition MPs bombarded Waytha with shouts of “racist” and “liar”, saying he had no right to speak on the issue.
Lawmakers from PAS and Umno then walked out of the Dewan Rakyat and called for a press conference shortly after.
Tuan Ibrahim said Waytha did not deserve to be the minister in charge of the national unity and social well-being portfolio.
The Kubang Kerian MP said this was due to a video which has gone viral of Waytha claiming that the previous Barisan Nasional government demolished 10,000 Hindu temples.
He urged Waytha to retract his statement although it had been made years ago, and reiterated calls for the senator to tender his resignation.
“We hope our action today will act as a useful piece of advice to the Pakatan Harapan government to fix the situation before unwanted occurrences take place,” he said.
Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was also at the press conference, said they were unhappy with Waytha’s answers during his speech in the Dewan Rakyat.
He also voiced disappointment with Waytha for attempting to give his personal opinion while speaking on behalf of the government.
The Bera MP said he was concerned that Malaysia would have to bow to international pressure if the government ratifies the ICERD.
“There will be a checklist of things that need to be implemented. Every four years, we will be pressured into implementing the contents under the ICERD,” he said.
Ismail similarly urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to sack Waytha as a minister.
He denied exploiting the issue, saying the ICERD would act as a back door through which Malay and Bumiputera rights would eventually be wiped out.