KUALA LUMPUR: The country is on track to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent in three years for a cleaner environment for future generations, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.
He said carbon emissions were already down by 33 per cent in 2015, compared to emissions record in 2005 in the country.
"You can see that we are very much on course,” he said in his keynote speech at the Kuala Lumpur International Youth Discourse 2017 at the Putra World Trade Centre here today.
Najib said Malaysia was determined to reduce it by 45 per cent by 2030, and be fully carbon neutral by 2050.
He said this was the government's commitment to the young people and future generations on safeguarding the environment.
"We can no longer wait for our neighbours to the west to take decisive action on climate challenge.”
Najib said various measures and policies had been implemented to focus on green growth and support sustainability under the Ninth, 10th and 11th Malaysia Plans from 2006 to 2020.
He said these included promoting green growth, adoption of sustainable consumption and production practices, conserving natural resources and building resilience against climate change and natural disasters.
"These are real commitments, not cheap promises - like you hear from some politicians who are promising less tolls and subsidised oil.
"Quite apart from the fact that they do not know how they would pay for these policies, they would also promote more cars on the road, thereby putting more corbon monoxide in the air and contributing to a carbon footprint that we must reduce, not increase, if our world is to be a safe environment for humanity.
"This government will never put a short-term political advantage ahead of the national interest," he said.
On cyber security, Najib said it had been estimated that by the end of a single day, nearly one million new pieces of malware would be released and 30,000 websites hacked.
He said various initiatives had been taken to address the issue including the launch of the "Cyber Security Awarness for Everyone" programme, which sought to educate the public on how best to utilise online technology and place agreements with other countries to cooperate and coordinate in policing the cyber space such as the Memorandum of Understanding with India.
He said Cyber Security Malaysia was gazetted in 2009 as a national agency to protect critical information for the safety of the public, economy and government services.
"I'm glad to say that these and other efforts have been recognised internationally.”
Naib said Malaysia was ranked third of 193 countries in the latest Global Cybersecurity Index released this year.
"Since we know that more of our lives, businesses and interactions with each other are taking place in cyberspace, this is a very real commitment to the future of all the young people here today… and we should be proud that an international body has awarded us so high position," he said.
Najib said the government had introduced the Social Agenda to solve drug addiction problems and create more opportunities to youths through the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).
He said RM4.9 billion had been allocated to implement the TVET Malaysia Masterplan to encourage graduates to further their studies and another RM4.5 million worth of scholarships for 100 oustanding students.
"How we prepare for them today will determine our ability to overcome issues tomorrow," he said.
Najib said there were others who had offered various promises but had no record to prove their worth.
He said they opposed the government even when they secretly agreed with government’s plans.
He said their fantasy economics would make Malaysia unsafe, unsecure and unstable.