Lawyer Latheefa Koya wants to know whether Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is questioning Palestine and other Muslim countries that have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

This is after Zahid questioned whether Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah was a Muslim for supporting Icerd.

"Are (you) questioning all Muslim nations including Palestine for ratifying Icerd?" Latheefa said in a tweet tonight.

Palestine is among 43 Muslim majority countries that have ratified Icerd. Other signatories include Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Zahid had made the remark against Saifuddin during a gathering with Federal Territories Umno earlier today.

"The Foreign Minister defended (the ratification plan) because of Reformasi movement.

"Eh, are you a Muslim? This is not about politics, it's not. We are only asking for what had been enshrined in the constitution to be defended. Isn't that right?" Zahid had asked.

Meanwhile, Bersatu strategist Rais Hussin demanded that Zahid apologise to Saifuddin.

"Seriously Zahid? You are questioning Saifuddin's faith for his stand on Icerd?

"You better apologise to Saifuddin as this is a very big accusation, very big insinuation, very big fitnah (slander)!" he said on Twitter.

Ratifying Icerd has been a heated issue in Malaysia, with bumiputera groups opposing it as being against the Federal Constitution, which has special provisions for bumiputeras.

However, the government had announced yesterday that it will not be ratifying the convention.