Malaysia to raise transboundary haze issue at AMME meet

Malaysia will raise the issue of transboundary haze at the 15th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (15th AMME) and related meetings in Cambodia which began yesterday and ends Thursday, said Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

Yeo (photo) said the meeting will be attended by her deputy Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, who will raise the matter and other environment-related issues, as well as science and technology.

“The deputy minister will attend the meeting as I have to attend IGEM (International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia) which begins tomorrow.

“There have been discussions held at the Asean level, but Munirah will raise the issue again and we will discuss several matters, especially joint efforts between the Asean countries,” she said after officiating the Sustainable Brands Kuala Lumpur 2019 conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

The biennial meeting is expected to adopt three key documents - the draft Asean Joint Statement on Climate Change, the draft Asean Strategic Plan on the Environment, and the request to designate five national parks in Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam as Asean Heritage Parks.

Commenting on Malaysian companies that were allegedly reported to have contributed to the agricultural fires in Indonesia, Yeo said: “Indonesia must investigate, and whoever violates the law, legal action must be taken against them.”

It was also reported yesterday that the government would act against Malaysian-owned plantations in Indonesia if it was true they had resorted to open burning which contributed to the recent transboundary haze which also affected Malaysia.

- Bernama