UNGA | Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again urged that the single-country veto in the UN Security Council be removed.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly today, Mahathir repeated his proposal first made to the assembly in 2003, that the council's veto require the backing of at least two permanent members.

"I had suggested that the veto should not be by just one permanent member but by at least two powers backed by three non-permanent members of the Security Council.

"The General Assembly should then back the decision with a simple majority. I will not say more," said Mahathir.

The UN Security Council has five permanent members – the US, China, Russia, France and the UK.

Mahathir said there was a need to reform the UN in its endeavour to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity.

"I would like to refer to the need for reform in the organisation. Five countries on the basis of their victories over 70 years ago cannot claim to have the right to hold the world to ransom forever.

"They cannot take the moral high ground, preaching democracy and regime change in the countries of the world when they deny democracy in this organisation," he said.

On trade, Mahathir said while powerful countries preach free trade, poor countries are still subjected to trade barriers imposed by the rich.

"Simple products of the poor are subjected to clever barriers so that they cannot penetrate the market of the rich. Malaysian palm oil is labelled as dangerous to health and the estates are destroying the habitat of animals.

"Food products of the rich declare that they are palm oil free. Now palm diesel is condemned because they are decimating virgin jungles. These caring people forget that their boycott is depriving hundreds of thousands of people of jobs and a decent life.

"We in Malaysia care for the environment. Some 48 percent of our country remains virgin jungle. Can our detractors claim the same for their own countries?" he said.

Malaysia, he said, was committed to sustainable development and will introduce the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standard by late 2019.

"This will ensure that every drop of palm oil produced in Malaysia will be certified sustainable by 2020," he said.