Urgent revival of Malaysia-Indonesia cooperation needed to address haze problem

KUCHING: The need to rejuvenate cooperation and joint efforts between Malaysia and Indonesia to combat the potential haze issue in the region is of paramount importance.
Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah pointed out that a government-to-government (G2G) approach is the most effective way to tackle and encourage Indonesia to cease open burning practices.
“In Malaysia, we have the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change (KeTSA), and Indonesia also has a Ministry of Environment. I hope our minister (KeTSA) can advise their counterparts on the other side (Indonesia) regarding this matter.
“I am aware that a few years ago, when we encountered a similar problem, the Malaysian Ministry of Environment took steps to inform the Indonesian president. The haze subsequently ceased, and the situation improved,” said the Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.
“Perhaps this time, similar actions need to be taken to address this issue,” he stated during a press conference here on Tuesday (Aug 15), responding to enquiries about the possibility of haze affecting Sarawak.
Abdul Karim stressed that addressing this issue cannot be solely shouldered by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability in Sarawak or the Natural Resources and Environment Board when attempting to communicate with another country to halt open burning.
“It’s a complex challenge that requires a G2G approach. That’s my perspective.”
Despite a moderate air quality reading of 87, the skyline of Kuching City was enveloped in haze on Tuesday.
Malaysia employs a five-category Air Pollutant Index (API) to classify air quality, where readings above 300 are deemed hazardous; 201 to 300 is considered very unhealthy; 101 to 200 is unhealthy; 51 to 100 is moderate, and readings below 50 are categorised as good.