MANILA: Malaysia is pushing for greater scientific cooperation among Asean member states to strengthen regional efforts in tackling transboundary haze pollution, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said Malaysia had advanced proposals on Science Diplomacy and a Sustainable Haze Fund to enhance scientific collaboration, sustainable financing and collective responses to recurring haze pollution.
"Complementing these efforts, Malaysia has advanced proposals on Science Diplomacy and a Sustainable Haze Fund to strengthen scientific cooperation, sustainable financing, and collective response to transboundary haze pollution," he said.
Mohamad said this in his speech at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) here on Saturday (Nov 14).
He said the proposals would be further pursued at the Conference of the Parties to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) in December, as well as during Malaysia's chairmanship of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2027.
Mohamad also called for a more proactive and coordinated regional response to the recurring problem through the effective implementation of the AATHP.
"Moving forward, Asean must pursue a more proactive and coordinated regional response, anchored in the effective implementation of the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP)," he said.
He also urged the ratification of the agreement concerning the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), stressing that its early deployment was essential to improving regional preparedness.
Mohamad said recent land and forest fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra regions had caused severe transboundary haze in parts of Southeast Asia.
He expressed Malaysia's appreciation for Indonesia's efforts to contain the fires, acknowledging the difficulties posed by prevailing El Niño conditions, unpredictable weather and the remoteness of affected areas.
"The deteriorating air quality, including unhealthy and hazardous levels in several areas, poses great risks to public health, livelihoods, and daily activities, particularly to vulnerable populations," he said.
Malaysia had previously tabled its Science Diplomacy and Sustainable Haze Fund proposals at the 27th Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee meeting in Bali in July.
The meeting agreed to explore the feasibility of Science Diplomacy under the existing Asean haze agreement, including through existing mechanisms or suitable new platforms.
The proposals are part of ongoing regional efforts to strengthen haze prevention, monitoring and response, in line with Asean's aspiration of achieving a haze-free region by 2030.
