Malaysia: Pact on transboundary haze with Indonesia soon

New Straits Times 24 Oct 14;

KUCHING: Malaysia and Indonesia are still discussing how to effectively tackle transboundary haze.

Department of Environment director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan said both countries were in the process of drafting a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to share expertise and data in efforts to tackle the problem.

“The MoU will enable both countries to share experience, information and expertise to find an amicable solution to the issue,” Halimah said after officiating the state-level Malaysian Environment Week and Environmental Quality Regulations Seminar 2014 here yesterday.

She said the MoU would focus on the prevention of open burnings and forest fires.

“We have urged our counterpart in Indonesia to take a more proactive stance. We have yet to be informed on the official date to sign the memorandum, but we hope it can be concluded soon.”

Several areas in Kalimantan, Indonesia, she said, had been identified as hotspots that had led to the recurrent haze, which also affected Sabah and Sarawak.

“Open burnings in the other side of the country have resulted in hot and dry weather in Sabah and Sarawak,” she said.