KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat took a linguistic twist on Wednesday (Oct 21) when Sabak Bernam MP Kalam Salan switched to Javanese to deliver a message to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto over the annual haze.
Kalam said he would speak in Javanese, suggesting that leaders on the Indonesian side might not understand Malay.
“To the respected Pak Prabowo, please take immediate action to put out the fires, stop the burning and ensure this problem does not recur every year.
“We want clear skies, clean air and for the people of both countries to live healthily and peacefully,” he said during the Budget 2027 debate.
Kalam also took issue with remarks by an Indonesian leader suggesting that the republic’s forests had long supplied oxygen to Malaysia.
“Let us not turn this issue into a joke by claiming that Indonesia’s forests provide oxygen to Malaysia.
“Are Malaysia’s trees made of plastic? Can they not produce oxygen?” he asked.
He also called on the government to use diplomatic channels to urge the Philippines, which holds the Asean chairmanship this year, to take stronger regional action against transboundary haze.
He proposed five measures, including stronger joint enforcement, a regional early warning system using satellite monitoring and real-time hotspot data, and a regional emergency response team to tackle fires before the haze spreads across borders.
Beyond the policy proposals, Kalam also highlighted health aspects affecting Malaysians, who were left struggling with breathing difficulties, itchy throats, coughing and worsening asthma.
Schools had to close, tourism was affected and plantation work could not proceed, he said.
He added that Indonesians working on Malaysian plantations were also affected, as disruptions to their work could leave them without wages and unable to send money home to their families.
