Arya News - The Malaysian prime minister and the Brunei sultan aim to use “the ASEAN mechanism” in a bid to find a solution for the recurring problem of transboundary haze from Indonesian wildfires.
JAKARTA – Malaysia and Brunei have agreed to raise the issue of transboundary haze pollution at the ASEAN level as thick smoke from forest and peatland fires in Indonesia drifts across the border to affect its neighbors.
The agreement was reached over the weekend during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s working visit in Bandar Seri Begawan for an annual consultation with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, where the two leaders discussed possible measures to address the recurring problem.
“We both agreed to use the ASEAN mechanism as the best option. We have asked [Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan] to manage this issue,” Anwar told a press conference after the meeting.
A day earlier, Hasan told media that Kuala Lumpur would soon submit an official letter to the ASEAN Secretariat through Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.
The move comes as forest and peatland fires blaze across Indonesia, with thousands of hot spots detected in Kalimantan and on Sumatra amid prolonged dry conditions as El Nino intensifies.
Thick haze has shrouded parts of Kalimantan for weeks and visibility in some areas has fallen to just 1 meter, disrupting road traffic and delaying flights. Meanwhile, the government has deployed aerial firefighting aircraft and conducted weather modification operations in an effort to contain the fires.
The haze has crossed into Malaysia, where air quality in parts of Sarawak has reached unhealthy and very unhealthy levels. Nearly 600 schools in the state were closed, affecting around 200,000 students, while authorities urged residents to limit outdoor activities.
Recurring haze has long been a source of tension between Indonesia and its neighbors, with ASEAN adopting the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002 to strengthen regional cooperation in preventing and mitigating haze caused by forest and peatland fires.
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