Govt tells Malaysian firms in Indonesia to ensure they don't cause haze

 

The government has written to Malaysian plantation firms operating in Indonesia to ensure there is no open burning in their operations in order to avoid transboundary haze.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said this is because plantations and peatland have been identified as one of the main causes of transboundary haze in the region.

"As an initiative to prevent transboundary haze, I have issued a letter to Malaysian plantation companies, subsidiaries and Malaysian-linked firms operating in Indonesia, urging them to take the necessary precautions against open burning in plantations, to avoid plantation and peatland fires, which are the main incidents causing transboundary haze in this country," he said in a statement.

"Related efforts are also undertaken with the Foreign Ministry through its offices in Indonesia. These efforts will also be communicated to my counterpart in Indonesia," he said.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Nik Nazmi said the measures are in anticipation of dry weather during the ongoing northwest monsoon.

The region generally experiences dry weather in August and September, raising the risk of forest and peatland fires.

He added that government agencies have started preparing for possible haze since May and have continuously monitored the air quality and prepared for possible transboundary haze in these months.

Worse haze expected

Experts believe the El Nino phenomenon, set to result in hotter and drier weather in Southeast Asia, will worsen haze in the region.

Asean states signed the legally binding Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2022, following severe haze in the region in 1997-1998.

However, the agreement has enforcement limitations, Universiti Malays's associate professor of environmental politics Helena Varkkey told Bernama.

As such, she said Malaysia should follow Singapore, which in 2014 enacted a transboundary haze pollution act which stops Singapore-linked entities from carrying activities outside the country that could contribute to transboundary haze.

Malaysia had in 2019 drafted a similar law but the progress was halted after a sudden change of government.

Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi said the government has also activated plans to prevent activities in Malaysia which could lead to haze.

This includes activating the action plan against open burning that has been in place since April while the operations to prevent peatland fires began in March.

The Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) and the Environment Department are also closely monitoring air quality via its 65 automated monitoring stations and METMalaysia's fire danger rating system, which has been in use since 2003.

"The public is advised not to conduct open burning and ensure vacant land is not trespassed and used for open burning," he said. - Mkini