Malaysia to raise cross-border haze at ASEAN meeting in Manila
Indonesia has verbally accepted Malaysia’s offer of firefighting help, but deployment still awaits authorisation, the environment minister said.
Malaysia will bring its concerns over cross-border haze to an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila in early November, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said on October 22.
Speaking in Putrajaya, Arthur urged Indonesia to act firmly against fires contributing to haze that was harming Malaysian air quality and public well-being. He said close diplomatic ties did not remove Malaysia’s right to seek effective measures when pollution crossed its borders.
Malaysia has consulted Indonesia several times and offered firefighting personnel and equipment, Arthur said. Indonesia had given verbal agreement to receive the assistance, but coordination remained in progress while authorisation to send those resources was pending.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had conveyed the offer to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also discussed the issue while on an official visit to Indonesia.
Arthur said Malaysia would seek a stronger regional response at the Manila meeting and assess its outcome before deciding what to do next. He cited satellite reports dated October 14 showing extensive hotspot clusters across southern Sumatra and West, Central and South Kalimantan, and called for regional cooperation to contain fires where they originate.
