Malaysia, 2008

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.

37 08-53129

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.