The haze will be on the agenda at a major regional meeting. A Bernama headline from Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan says that Malaysia will raise the transboundary haze issue at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit next month. I have only seen the headline, so I do not know the specific proposals that Malaysia will make, but earlier reports said that Malaysia aimed to seek disaster status for the haze at ASEAN level.
The haze has been a persistent problem this year. Forest and peat fires in parts of Indonesia have sent smoke across the region, schools in several Malaysian states have closed, and Singapore has rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment. Indonesia recorded more than 333,000 cases of acute respiratory infection, according to Bernama, and foreign firefighting assistance has been waiting for a declaration of a national disaster.
Regional agreements on haze exist, but implementation has been uneven. A discussion among foreign ministers gives Malaysia an opportunity to press for stronger monitoring, faster mobilisation of firefighting resources and mechanisms to hold those responsible for illegal burning accountable. Indonesia has previously accepted offers of help from Singapore and Malaysia, and the regional meeting could help to turn offers into action.
For Malaysians, the immediate concern is air quality, with several areas recording unhealthy readings in recent days, particularly in Sarawak. Citizens can follow the official Air Pollutant Index, take precautions when the air is poor and check school announcements. In the longer term, preventing fires depends on land management, enforcement and weather patterns, including the effects of El Niño. Watch for the outcome of the ministers' meeting and for commitments made at the summit next month.
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