Malaysians join global campaign to stop smog

KUALA LUMPUR: An international campaign to get regional governments to cooperate in stopping the haze is gathering momentum here in Malaysia.

Property agent Michael Boo was among 500 Malaysians who signed a Greenpeace petition called #StoptheHaze during a roadshow at the KL Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) in Publika here over the weekend.

Boo, 50, said he fully supported calls for the governments of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to work together to reform the forestry and plantation sectors.

“There seems to be no end to the haze this year,” he added.

Boo said his 17-year-old daughter was scheduled to sit for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination this year and hoped the examination would not be disrupted.

A Greenpeace Malaysia official said the online campaign started two weeks ago and thousands around the world have signed the petition.

He said it also aimed at getting these governments to stop the annual occurrence of forest fires and protect as well as restore the remaining peatlands.

The online campaign pointed out that the fires are raging through forests which are critical habitats for animals such as tigers, orang utans and elephants.

“These fires are a man-made crisis, the result of decades of forest clearance and peatland drainage by plantation companies.

“The fires also show the government’s failure to protect the natural environment.”

A link to the campaign can be found on Greenpeace Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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