International and domestic dimensions of Malaysia's policy on the environment

Abstract

"When the rich chopped down their own forests, built their poison-belching factories and scoured the world for cheap resources, the poor said nothing ... Now the rich claim a right to regulate the development of the poor countries ... As colonies we were exploited. Now as independent nations we are to be equally exploited"As such was the crux of our former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed's speech at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. This statement summarized Malaysia's (and indeed most developing nation's) policy towards the environment at the time - environmental damage is an inevitable consequence of development. However, recent events have caused a visible policy shift. Malaysia has been especially active in two major international environmental issues, namely the 'Question of Antarctica' during Tun Mahathir's tenure, and currently, the management of the Southeast Asian haze. On a global level, Malaysia was the champion of the Antarctic cause; for it to be governed under the UN as a common heritage of mankind, instead of Atlantic Treaty Parties. Malaysia is now engaging both multilaterally through ASEAN and unilaterally with Indonesia in trying to mitigate the regional haze. This paper will discuss how Malaysia's involvement in these issues, as well as its growing diplomatic influence among the developing world, has triggered a significant shift from purely developmental policies of the past towards sustainable development.