KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a ploy by the Freemasons to destroy religions, race and Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claimed today.

The PAS president urged all God-fearing Malaysians to unite and oppose the anti-discrimination treaty — which Malaysia has been called to ratify — ahead of a mass rally planned for December 8 at Dataran Merdeka in the national capital here.

"ICERD is a Freemason agenda intended to destroy religion, race and country.

"Therefore the religious Muslims, Bumiputera and all races must unite and oppose the ICERD agenda, because its true concept is not religious and not humane,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

He further warned Malaysians against being "influenced by the West”, whom he claimed had abandoned religion and "the real human ethics”, without elaborating on the latter point.

This is not the first time Hadi has sought to demonise Freemasonry — a collection of diverse worldwide fraternities that started out as local groups for stonemasons, steeped in rituals and symbolisms.

In the past, he had linked the group to a conspiracy involving Zionists, Jews and Christians, whom he claimed were bent on a global conquest and annihilating Islam and its followers.

Malaysia has not signed or ratified the ICERD, sharing the dubious honour with Myanmar, Brunei and North Korea, among 10 other countries.

ICERD signatories commit to ending all forms of racial discrimination in their countries, which some such as PAS and Umno take to mean a dismantling of pro-Bumiputera affirmative action and privileges here.

Malaysia’s Federal Constitution contains provisions that expressly touch on Bumiputera privileges, fuelling debate on whether or not these must be amended upon the ratification of ICERD.