STATEMENT BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR SYED MOHD HASRIN TENGKU HUSSIN
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE
UNITED NATIONS
AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE OF THE 74TH SESSION OF THE UN ITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
8 OCTOBER 2019
Mr. Chairman,
Allow me to congratulate you as Chair and other members of the Bureau of the Second Committee.
3. Malaysia aligns itself with the statements delivered respectively by the distinguished Permanent Representative of Palestine, on behalf of G77 and China, and the Permanent Representative of Thailand, on behalf of ASEAN.
Mr. Chairman,
4. Malaysia is committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We remain steadfast in mobilising efforts with other countries to end all forms of poverty, to fight inequalities and to tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.
5. Equally important is the support by the UN system. In this regard, Malaysia applauds the effort initiated by the UN Secretary-General to reinvigorate the UN Development System (UNDS) to make it fit for purpose.
6. Malaysia remains of the view that the UN system needs to recognise the diversity and broad spectrum that the South-South Cooperation subsumes. It is important for the system to develop tailor-made incentives and frameworks in advancing partnerships based on specific challenges and needs of each country.
7. Malaysia reiterates its support to the South-South Cooperation, as a vital element of international cooperation for development. We reaffirm our commitment to continue supporting capacity building for developing countries through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).
Mr. Chairman,
8. On 5 October 2019, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, announced Malaysia’s Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. The Shared Prosperity model is a road map for the restructuring of Malaysia's economy for the next decade beginning in 2020. It aims at closing the gap between the rich and poor, enhance people’s purchasing power and eliminating income and wealth gap between classes, geography and extreme disparities in supply chain.
9. We believe that the Vision will result in transforming Malaysia from a labour-intensive country with reliance on unskilled low-paying workers to a high-income, high-skilled labour force capable of attracting new investments and opportunities, in line with latest developments in science and technology.
Mr. Chairman,
10. Malaysia has been taking comprehensive measures in ensuring that our economic development will not come at undue sacrifice of our natural resources. By implementing programmes for poverty eradication, forest management and protection of the country’s rich biodiversity, Malaysia has worked hard to ensure that economic development and environmental conservation go hand in hand.
11. At the multilateral front, Malaysia takes its commitment to conservation seriously and is proud to be a signatory to an extensive list of international treaties on conservation, wildlife, forestry and the environment. Unfortunately, despite our efforts as one of the world’s most biodiverse nations, we are being unfairly accused of putting the need for development before the needs of our forests.
12. I would like to reiterate that the palm oil industry in Malaysia has been developed sustainably and responsibly. In adhering to the Sustainable Development Goals, Malaysia has taken steps to improve production methods to ensure that Malaysia’s palm oil production is certified sustainable by 2020. This certification wholly and clearly addresses global concerns on the sustainable production of palm oil, including that of biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the destruction of wildlife habitats.
13. At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, Malaysia made a pledge that it is committed to maintain at least 50% of its land mass under forest cover. Almost three decades later, our forest cover is currently at 55.3% or 18.28 million hectares of our total land area. This represents the nation’s will and commitment to conserve and sustainably manage our forest, its flora and fauna.
14. Malaysia urges all member states to seriously address climate change and the accompanying natural disasters. We must combat climate change and fulfil our pledges as well as promises to reduce carbon emission, plant more trees and conserve forests, reuse and recycle.
15. Every natural disasters, is a world disaster. We should work towards mitigating them. We owe it to our children, grandchildren and the future generation. We owe them a world that is sustainable, not only economically but also environmentally.
Mr. Chairman,
16. The state of our global economy is facing a more challenging period than ever. The current international order is being exploited by the rich at the expense of the poor. A number of developing countries are faced, and sometimes forced with acute levels of debt, sacrificing the wellbeing of its people.
17. We are seeing negotiations on Free Trade Agreements (FTA) as heavily one sided or at the disadvantage of developing nations. For example, Malaysia had to suspend negotiations on a certain FTA due to the imbalanced terms on the country’s palm oil and its products.
18. Malaysia is a trading nation and remains committed to the promotion of free and fair trade. We urge parties at negotiations to reach what we call the ‘zone of possible agreement’ so that we can reach a common ground to conclude possible FTAs in the future.
19. On the US-China trade war, Malaysia hopes that both countries will find a way to solve their dispute. The trade war has huge implications on the world economy. The increased in tariff would affect the global supply chain and ultimately suppress demand for commodities and raw materials. Many developing nations rely on exports of commodities and raw materials as the main source of their national income.
Mr. Chairman,
20. All of us have the duty to implement our pledges to cater to the well-being of our people, and to conserve our planet in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The only sustainable way to do it is through multilateral efforts.
I thank you.