The Malaysian delegation
congratulates you, Mr. President, on your election as
the president of the General Assembly at its sixty-third
session.
We are in a situation of unprecedented crisis. The
skyrocketing prices of fuel and food have caused us
distress and widespread hardship. Beyond that, the
current financial and climate crises continue to tear the
social fabric of Member States. To term it merely an
economic crisis is to understate the case. Indeed, the
sheer complexity and connectivity between food, fuel
and energy, between finance and climate change, make
the task of addressing those convergent crises so
bedevilling.
It is here at the United Nations that the crises
must be faced and resolved. If we fail to address and
remedy those calamities, our role and responsibility in
this body will be called into question.
Some have called the current situation,
particularly the food crisis, a silent tsunami. I beg to
differ. It has not been and is not silent. Instead, the
rumblings have been heard for some time, most
particularly in Africa. In 1974, the international
community gathered in Rome to address the global
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food crisis, and in 1996, again in Rome, we dedicated
ourselves at the World Food Summit to eliminating
hunger and malnutrition and to achieving sustainable
food security for all.
We adopted seven commitments towards that end.
It was estimated in 1974 that, if action was not taken,
there could be 680 million hungry people in the world
in 2010. The latest figure shows that, at present,
850 million people face hunger on a daily basis.
Clearly, we have failed to take heed of the warnings
made 34 years ago. Can we now ask what happened to
those resolutions that we made?
Liberalization has fundamentally changed the
market structure for food and energy sources. Those
changes have allowed for greater international
speculation. A clear evidence of speculation on the
price of food can be found in the dramatic rise in
prices. An increase of close to 40 per cent has been
recorded within a six-month period, in some cases. In
view of the volatility of food prices, Malaysia strongly
supports efforts to promote agriculture and food
production.
It is generally assumed that rising food prices
automatically benefit all farmers equally. That is not
the case. Due to the concentrated and vertically
integrated nature of the global food trade, a good
number of agribusiness companies control all aspects
of cultivation and distribution. We are therefore now
witnessing smallholders being squeezed out. They are
unable to benefit from rising prices. At the same time,
ironically, many have to purchase food items that are
available in the market at very high prices.
The energy crisis has some of the same causes as
the food situation. Underinvestment is one of those
causes. Expectations of continued ample supply have
been dashed due to speculation and increased demand.
The causes of the fuel, food and climate change crises
clearly lie in the unfulfilled hopes and broken promises
of sustainable development. In Rio almost a decade
and a half ago, the human family agreed that we would
undertake concerted action to address the sustainable
development challenge based, inter alia, on the
principle of common but differentiated responsibility.
Yet, we are facing a crisis that could have
catastrophic consequences. It would appear that we
have not learned the lessons of history or avoided the
habit of producing resolution after resolution minus the
requisite pursuit and follow-up. Indeed, that is the root
cause of our stagnation in many areas of the
Organization’s responsibilities.
Therefore, the question is: what needs to be
done? Allow me to make six suggestions.
First, the international community, in particular
the developed world, should demonstrate greater
political commitment. The focus of the countries of the
developed world should be on fulfilling their 2008-
2012 commitments and, in so doing, setting a standard
for the entire world, rather than on trying to pass the
burden of action on to the developing world.
Secondly, we must find the right mix in balancing
the competing interests of the three pillars of
sustainable development, namely, economic growth,
social development and environmental protection.
Thirdly, the optimal mix between governmental
and private-sector action must be found. Clearly,
market forces and the private sector have a role to play
in overcoming these convergent crises. However, the
role of the Government is critical in terms of providing
policy integration as well as balancing the competing
interests of the three pillars of sustainable
development.
Fourthly, further infrastructure development and
the transfer of technology are critical elements in
overcoming the present crises.
Fifthly, we must resolve long-standing issues that
lie at the heart of world geopolitics today. In particular,
we must resolve the problems in the world’s most
volatile regions — which, coincidentally, are some of
the world’s largest producers and distribution channels
of oil. The United Nations must make a forward thrust
in meeting the need for peace and security. Energy and
food are truly needs of humanity. Therefore, the United
Nations must introduce a synergy of human rights into
the matter so that oil and food become basic rights of
humanity.
And sixthly, long-term solutions must be found in
order to stabilize the price of commodities. More
particularly, the futures market must be organized and
duly regulated so that it becomes a force of stability,
not volatility, in prices. That must be coupled with
continued research and development related to
alternative energy, be it solar, nuclear or derivative
fuel.
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Malaysia recognizes certain realities. In the face
of vehement protests, we have taken measures to
reduce the level of fuel subsidies, which could have
been untenable in the long run. We have also
undertaken measures to reduce Government spending
and to promote greater energy efficiency. Last July,
leaders of the Developing 8 Countries, of which
Malaysia is now Chair, agreed in Kuala Lumpur to
make serious efforts to cooperate in increasing
agricultural production and achieving greater food
security. We urge the countries of the developed world
to play their rightful greater role in addressing those
convergent crises, given their greater wealth and
capacities.
The present financial crisis being suffered by the
United States threatens to engulf the entire world,
although the vast majority of us did not enjoy the
benefits when times were good. Somehow, the
financial mantra of the United States has lost its magic.
Casting our minds back to the Asian financial crisis in
1997, we cannot help but compare the scenarios. The
troubles of Asian companies then were the result of
outside forces, while the present troubles of United
States financial companies are entirely of their own
doing. It must be asked: why were the actions taken by
the Governments of Asia — in particular, that of
Malaysia — to save our own companies a decade ago
deemed so wrong, while the present bailout of United
States financial companies is deemed to be right? To
ensure that such a debacle does not recur, let us today
resolve to check the excesses of the so-called financial
wizards whose alchemy has resulted in so much
suffering. Malaysia supports the view that corporate
captains should not sap their entities by receiving
unbelievably high pay packages.
New threats to peace and security continue to
pose additional challenges for the international
community. Terrorism, transnational crime and piracy
are but a few of the challenges that confront us.
Already, the scourge of terrorism and piracy in
international waters has taken its toll on many States.
Malaysia, Japan and even Russia have become victims
to acts of piracy thousands of miles away from their
shores.
Just days ago, in August 2008, two Malaysian
vessels were hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
Sixty-five Malaysians and 15 Filipinos on board those
vessels are being held hostage in Somalia. In order to
secure the release of the hostages and ensure the safe
navigation of our vessels in that area, Malaysia has
taken steps in accordance with Security Council
resolution 1816 (2008) and international law. My
delegation stands ready to work closely with other
States that share the same predicament. We urge the
Security Council to immediately address the problem
in an effective manner. My delegation also calls on
States, particularly the littoral States in the region, to
provide the means necessary to ensure the security of
navigation in their waters.
Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are
three important pillars of our political life. Those
pillars, enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution, have
bequeathed to us freedom and liberty, dignity and
harmony, peace and security. Malaysia will protect and
strengthen those sacrosanct pillars at all costs in order
to ensure that all members of our multireligious and
multi-ethnic society can continue to live with one
another in peace, harmony and unity, while respecting
diversity. We believe that good and harmonious
relations among our various religious and ethnic
groups are our greatest asset. We respect the rule of
law, and no one is above the law.
Malaysia is concerned over recent attempts by
certain powerful Member States to question the
national laws of countries and the administration of
justice under those laws. It needs to be restated: we
have no right to meddle — in any form or
manifestation, or under any pretext or circumstances —
in the conduct of the internal affairs of other countries.
If we so chose, we could question the legal basis of the
Guantánamo detentions without trial, but we have not
done so, inasmuch as we do not question societal
behaviour in other jurisdictions. While same-sex
fornication and marriage are acceptable in California,
that does not mean that sodomy — which is a crime in
many countries in Asia — is to be impugned or
derided.
Let us remind ourselves of the purposes and
principles set out in the United Nations Charter, as well
as of the relevant provisions of the 2000 Millennium
Declaration and the Outcome Document of the 2005
World Summit, which should be defended and upheld.
Democracy in Malaysia remains very vibrant and
progressive. Basic rights continue to be guaranteed for
each and every Malaysian citizen, and the rule of law
via parliament remains central to our existence as a
sovereign and independent nation.
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It is here in the General Assembly that the entire
world comes together in a true spirit of common
resolve and partnership. That presupposes the creation
of an international order and a reformed United
Nations that reflect not only the current and future
realities, but also our resolve in fulfilling each and
every resolution that we have adopted here at the
Assembly.
Indeed, it would be elementary at this juncture to
answer the question: to what extent have we fulfilled
and satisfied the numerous resolutions that we have
adopted over the decades? Indeed, what happens to the
speeches after speeches that leaders have made? Lest
we be blamed as a mere resolution-producing body, let
us begin to act in concert to deliver the goods that we
all should have delivered for the sake of the very
humanity that we are charged with safeguarding. Let us
plan the work and subsequently work the plan.