Malaysia has sent a letter to Indonesia in relation to cooperation under the Asean Agreement on transboundary haze pollution, said Minister of Natural Resources, environment and climate change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He added the letter was sent to his counterpart in Indonesia following instructions from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to coordinate with his counterparts in Asean to solve the trans-border haze issue.
I have sent a letter to Indonesia. Today the Prime Minister had instructed the ministry to coordinate this haze problem.
The Malaysian Department said on Monday that a regional meteorological agency had detected nearly 250 'hotspots', indicating fires, on Sumatra island and in its part of Kalimantan island, with none in Malaysia.
The efforts to clear the air with rain by seeding clouds and other measures to cope with pollution would come into effect when API readings reached 150 for more than 24 hours, Wan Abdul Latiff said.
10 Comments
lettlelenok
It's encouraging that Malaysia is waiting for API readings to reach a certain level before taking action. It shows a scientific approach to tackling the problem.
ytkonos
It's commendable that Malaysia is exploring cooperation under existing agreements rather than reinventing the wheel to address the haze issue.
dedus mopedus
Malaysia's effort to coordinate with counterparts in Asean is a positive step towards regional cooperation in solving the transboundary haze problem.
lettlelenok
Cooperation under the Asean Agreement on transboundary haze pollution has clearly not been effective. It's time for Malaysia to explore other solutions.
ytkonos
It's a good move by Malaysia to reach out to Indonesia and initiate a dialogue on the transboundary haze problem.
dedus mopedus
Seeding clouds and other measures are necessary to clear the air and minimize pollution. Malaysia's efforts should be applauded.
Noir Black
Sending a letter shows that Malaysia is adopting a diplomatic approach rather than resorting to aggression or blame game.
Habibi
Cooperation should not just be limited to letters. Malaysia should be actively working with other countries to address the transboundary haze issue.
Loubianka
Cooperation under the Asean Agreement on transboundary haze pollution shows that Malaysia is committed to finding a regional solution to the problem.
Bob the Helper
This letter to Indonesia is just a formality. Malaysia needs to take more proactive steps to address the transboundary haze issue.