Umno Youth has set up a special legal task force of more than 30 lawyers to pre-empt any possible legal complications arising from the planned rally on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) on Dec 8.

The team would provide legal advice to the rally organisers and those attending the demonstration, especially in the event of any illegal incident, Umno Youth's Young Lawyers Cluster chairperson Nik Saiful Adli Burhan (photo) said in an Utusan Online report yesterday.

He said the team comprises members of Umno Youth's Young Lawyers Cluster, student group Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) and Kelantan Lawyers and Intellectual Action Organisation.

"This legal team is important to ensure the peaceful gathering is under control and follows all the regulations set by the authorities," Nik Saiful was quoted as saying in a statement.

He added that Umno Youth was backing the rally, which was organised by a group of Islamic NGOs called Gerakan Pembela Ummah.

The rally is also being backed by Umno and PAS.

"Despite the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issuing a statement on its decision not to ratify Icerd, I believe the process was not carried out according to formality, even though the decision involved the government's foreign policy," Nik Saiful is reported as saying.

Many Islamic groups and opposition politicians objected to the government's initial consideration to ratify Icerd, citing fears it would jeopardise the position of Malays and Islam as per Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

This stemmed from the statement made by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the UN general assembly in September that Malaysia would ratify all remaining human rights conventions.

PAS and Umno then declared that a massive anti-Icerd rally would take place in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8.

However, the Prime Minister's Office announced last Friday that the government had decided against ratifying the convention.

Despite this, organisers have vowed to go ahead with the rally but said it would instead be one in support and celebration of the government's latest decision.