by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 29th March 1992:
George Bush’s refusal to give US endorsement to a treaty to fight global warming by freezing emission of greenhouse gases in 2000 to 1990 levels is the height of international irresponsibility and must be deplored by other developed and all developing nations.
The United States Administration statement that United States President George Bush will attend the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or Earth Summit in Brazil in June only if it produces a treaty on global Warming serving US interests is most irresponsible and deplorable.
Clayton Yuetter, the newly-appointed chief of domestic policy at the White House, said yesterday that Bush would attend the June UNCED in Rio do Janeiro if it was “productive” for him to partic-ipate defining ‘a productive meeting’ as whether it is in the ‘best interest of the United States’.
George Bush has refused to endorse a draft global-warming treaty for the Earth Summit to freeze emissions of the “greenhouse gases”’ like carbon dioxide and methane in the year 2000 to 1990 levels
on the grounds that it would added stress on the United States economy already mired in a prolonged recession and harm him in his quest for presidential re-election.
Scientists believe the ‘greenhouse gases’ like carbon diox¬ide are the chief causes for earth’s temperature to rise.
George Bush’s action and attitude is the height of irrespon¬sibility and must be deplored by other developed nations and all developing nations.
If every country follows George Bush irresponsible and selfish example and refuse to compromise short-term national interests with international interests and long-term national interests, then international relations would never progress.
Malaysia cannot turn her back to international co¬operation in addressing global environmental problems.
Such irresponsible United States Government behavior however is no reason or justification for the Malaysian Government to boycott the Earth Summit.
In fact, there is an added reason why Malaysia must be at the Earth Summit. Apart from ensuring that world concerns about global environ mental issues are given the serious attention they deserve, Malaysia must join hands with either developed and developing, nations to expose the irresponsible and selfish actions of the United States President and Government in mortgaging the fundamental environmental interests of humanity for another four years in the White House.
In going to the Earth Summit, the Malaysia Government must of course be prepared to defend her logging and forestry policies in Rio de Janeiro in the face of critics, whether government, international agency, NGO or even individuals.
Malaysia must not turn her back to international co-opera¬tion in addressing the environmental problems of mankind, for only international co-operation could hope to check environmental degrada¬tion and ensure sustainable development for future generations.