On 28 September 2018, the prime minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad addressed the UN General Assembly, announcing the new government has to "ratify all remaining core UN instruments related to the protection of human rights", including ICERD and other five unratified conventions.

However, Khairy Jamaluddin disputed the UN address and raised concerns about ICERD's impact on bumiputra, Malay and Islam privileges and special treatment in the country.

[5] On 19 November 2018, in Parliament, Waytha Moorthy, who is in charge of National Unity and Social Wellbeing, started speaking on the intention of the government in ratifying ICERD and said that consultations with relevant stakeholders would be held in the first quarter of 2019, to the Opposition's denunciations.

Its members admits inspiration from the 2017 "Aksi 212" protests in which Indonesian Islamist hardliners rally against the appointment of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama –of Chinese descent– as the governor of Jakarta.

[citation needed] On 23 November 2018, the Prime Minister's Office announced they would not ratify the convention and would continue defending the Federal Constitution, which they said represents a social contract that was agreed upon by all races during the formation of the country.