Mustapha Kamil reporting from Sydney: Discuss action plan to manage climate issues

MALAYSIA does not object introducing issues of climate change in the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum as long as they avoid rhetorics and impositions of rules.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said adverse impact from climate change must be viewed as a form of calamity and discussions on the issue in Apec should be on how to manage the climate, not to point fingers at who is responsible.Rafidah said the broader forum for climate change already existed at the United Nations level and through the Kyoto Protocol. The US and Australia have not ratified the Kyoto treaty."We must talk instead about an action plan to manage climate change, preferably at three levels — global, regional and domestic."
Rafidah said Malaysia would object to any new agreements outside of those already agreed at the international level. She has suggested to the Apec forum that issues of climate change be included in the forum’s Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2.The scope, she said, must be wider than that proposed by certain Apec member economies and not limited only to management of forest areas as earlier proposed.Officials, however, said the final declaration to be issued at the end of the leaders meeting this week would still include a watered-down section on climate change.Rafidah said at the end of the day, Apec declarations were non-binding on its members. "Its not that we are not willing to talk about climate change but there is already the Kyoto Protocol to deal with and we do not want rhetorics to creep into Apec."But we are committed towards helping manage the climate. If we can help, we will and if there are others who can help us manage the climate better, we will be willing to listen."Meanwhile, a joint statement issued at the end of the Apec forum yesterday had balanced the focus for anti-corruption initiatives among the public and private sectors after Malaysia intervened during the discussions, saying that an earlier statement was inclined sharply towards civil servants, giving the impression that only government officials were corrupt.In the joint statement, Apec ministers said they endorsed a model Code of Conduct for Business, a model Code of Conduct Principles for Public Officials and a complementary Anti-corruption Principles For The Private and Public Sectors.