Malaysia confident US withdrawal will not affect Paris Agreement on Climate Change - Wan Junaidi

Malaysia is confident that the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change will not fail despite the United States (US) having announced its withdrawal from the treaty.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said a total of 194 countries had expressed their high determination that the agreement would be maintained to tackle the issue of global warming.

"A lot of big countries like China as well as the European Union can take over the role of the United States in leading the fight against global warming.

"While we are disappointed with the United States which at one point presented themselves as if they are the champion in defending environmental issues, we are confident that the agreement will not be affected (even) without them," he told reporters when visiting the Sungai Kedah/Anak Bukit Flood Mitigation Project site here Sunday.

Two days ago, US President Donald Trump drew outrage and criticism of the world when he announced that the US was pulling out of the agreement.

Commenting further, Wan Junaidi said the world was now worried that should the agreement fail, it would have negative implications on the environment, including in Malaysia, when more low-lying areas would be filled with water due to global warming.

"This is something that we need to defend through this agreement although it might take some time (to materialise)," he said.

Meanwhile, the minister said the flood mitigation project, costing almost RM600 million, that would serve as a solution to resolve floods in the district was expected to be completed in two years'' time.

Wan Junaidi also urged the Kedah government not to develop the pre-historic area of Tanjung Mali in Langkawi where drop stones were unearthed, due to its historical value.

"Do not disturb the 1,200-metre site so that it can be turned into an eco-tourism area because of the high historical value," he said.

It was reported that the two billion-year-old area was once part of Antartica before it separated due to melting iceberg and becoming an island on its own.

-- BERNAMA