PETALING JAYA: A new law similar to Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act is being drafted in Malaysia to bring to book local companies setting forest fires abroad.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the proposed law was necessary to ensure that offenders causing transborder haze did not escape with impunity.
“I have directed the ministry’s legal adviser to prepare the framework with the technical team before forwarding it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for fine-tuning prior to tabling the draft Bill in Parliament,” he said.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali confirmed that the proposed law may be modelled on the Act passed in Singapore last year.
“The A-G’s Chambers will wait for the ministry to refer to them,” Apandi told The Star.
Wan Junaidi said he had directed the ministry’s legal adviser three weeks ago to prepare the framework for the new laws, as Malaysia currently did not have jurisdiction to take action against local companies committing the offence abroad.
He said it was part of a two-pronged strategy being undertaken to facilitate legal action against those responsible for causing haze.
Malaysia has also suggested including another legally binding clause in the proposed bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia, which is yet to be ratified, to refer breaches in agreement to the International Court of Justice.
Wan Junaidi said resorting to legal action would be most effective in tackling the long-standing woe that has taken a toll on the entire population in the region.
He added that statistics from the Indonesian authorities showed that most of the culprits involved in torching forests were smallholders (97%), compared with big corporations which made up only 3% of the cases.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
