KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government must pursue a permanent bilateral framework with Indonesia to tackle recurring transboundary haze which is a public health crisis, says Parti Warisan’s Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong.
He said the haze currently affecting Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia highlights the need for a more structured mechanism to address forest and peatland fires in the region.
Prevention must remain key to cooperation, as both countries must strengthen early detection, land management and accountability, he added.
In a statement on Monday (Sept 7), Wong cited reports in which Indonesia said 202,000ha of land were burnt between January and July, with hotspots across Kalimantan and Sumatra causing hazardous to unhealthy air pollutant levels.
He proposed that Malaysia and Indonesia set up a mechanism for prevention, monitoring and emergency response along with a rapid response system, including possible coordination of water-bombing aircraft.
He said stronger enforcement was needed against deliberate burning and illegal land clearing with more intelligence sharing on hotspots, satellite data and high-risk areas possibly included.
"Haze does not recognize borders. For the health of our people, we cannot afford to wait for the next major haze episode before acting," he added.
Sabah’s west coast areas of Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Beaufort together with Labuan FT continue to experience unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings of above 150.
Areas in the east coast Tawau and Sandakan as well as interior Keningau are recording moderate API readings of below 100.
