‘Haze cannot be the norm’: Malaysia urges Indonesia to take action
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Air quality has hit unhealthy levels in several parts of Malaysia in recent days.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is calling on its neighbour Indonesia and a grouping of South-east Asian nations to take action as air quality worsens across the country due to fires in Indonesia, its environment minister told Reuters on Thursday.
Air quality has hit unhealthy levels in several parts of Malaysia has denied detecting any smoke drifting over its borders
Almost every dry season, smoke from fires to clear land for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations in Indonesia blankets much of the region, bringing risks to public health and worrying tourist operators and airlines.
Many of the companies that own these plantations are foreign or foreign-listed.
Fires that sent haze billowing across the region in 2015 and 2019 burned millions of hectares of land and produced record-breaking emissions, according to scientists.
Mr Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Malaysia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, said he has sent a letter to his Indonesian counterpart about the haze.
“We submitted our letter to inform the Indonesian government and (urge) them to hopefully take action on the matter,” he said. “We cannot keep going back to having haze as something normal.”
He reiterated that most of the hot spots indicating fires were in Indonesia.
The government has also sent letters to Malaysian-owned plantation companies that operate in Indonesia to ensure they comply with laws and prevent burning, he said.
He called for joint action by Asean, either through legislation or an agreement, to prevent the yearly haze.
“I hope that every country will be able to be open in order to find a solution because the damage to the economy, to tourism, but especially to health, is immense from the haze,” he said.
He said Malaysia is still “seriously” considering a law similar to Singapore that holds companies liable for air pollution. But there are concerns over whether Malaysia will be able to prosecute polluters based overseas, he said. REUTERS
