KUALA LUMPUR: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia to tackle the recurrent haze will be signed before the end of the year.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the MoU would pave the way for wider cooperation between both countries to handle the issue.
He said the draft of the MoU had been completed and that he would hold a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart to formalise the agreement.
“The draft is done. I am confident we can sign it this year,” he told reporters after visiting the Panda Conservation Centre at Zoo Negara to see giant panda Liang Liang and her newborn cub yesterday.
The meeting, scheduled to be held on Friday, has also been postponed due to the deteriorating haze situation in Indonesia.
The meeting between Junaidi and his Indonesian counterpart had been postponed twice.
The MoU, which was discussed even before the haze hit the country a few weeks ago, contains four steps to overcome haze – law enforcement, zero burning practice for the Indonesians, peat soil management and collaboration between the two countries whenever fires break out.
The bilateral MoU was the result of the 17th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Tansboundary Haze Pollution, held in Jakarta on July 28 last year.
Indonesia is also expected to sign similar agreements with Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.
In January, Indonesia was the last member country to ratify the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
Dr Wan Junaidi also warned that the Department of Environment would take action against Malaysians who were involved in open burning although API readings had been going down.
“I have received reports of four hotspots: two in Kelantan and one each in Johor and Pahang.
“We won’t compromise. Our society needs a healthy environment,” he said.
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