KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin has at the moment referred to as for a Transboundary Haze Act (THA) amid the current spell, warning that Malaysia might lose as much as RM1 billion influence together with from losses in tourism and companies, and the price of fire-fighting and cloud seeding, cancellation of flights and occasions, and public well being.
The former minister of vitality, science, expertise, surroundings and local weather change mentioned she has advocated for such an Act since 2019, however this was halted following the change of presidency from the so-called “Sheraton Move”.
“This act will allow the federal government to take motion towards Malaysian people or corporations that trigger haze in Malaysia no matter the place the burning occurred.
“Currently, there aren’t any particular Malaysian legal guidelines governing this. Singapore however handed such a law in 2014,” Yeo mentioned in a press release.
Yeo revealed that each the Perikatan Nasional and the present federal administrations have answered “no” when requested about tabling such a law.
Amid criticisms towards THA, Yeo mentioned it might work by incorporating preventive clauses to compel Malaysian corporations overseas to make accessible satellite tv for pc knowledge for all their premises corresponding to plantations for accountability, and to require new corporations to declare new land purchases in high-risk areas and declare how the land was cleared earlier than buy.
“Greater transparency will function a deterrent towards Malaysian plantation corporations misbehaving in different international locations. In addition, it will additionally assist to counter the unfavorable picture painted by the developed international locations that oil palm plantations are all the identical and are the principle reason behind forest burning within the area (or the loss of Orangutan habitats as proven within the well-known advertisements).
“In quick, greater transparency will assist us to distinguish the white sheep from the black sheep, figuratively talking,” she added.
Yesterday, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad mentioned Malaysia has despatched a letter to Indonesia with regard to cooperation beneath the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution over the haze subject.
He mentioned the letter had been despatched to his counterpart in Indonesia following directions from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to coordinate along with his counterparts in Asean to resolve the transborder haze subject.
This comes as Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni mentioned the Indonesian authorities can not deny claims that the trans-boundary haze is attributable to forest and land fires of their nation.
He identified that knowledge obtained from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) confirmed that the cross-border haze originated from Indonesia and crossed into neighbouring international locations.
Data obtained from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) confirmed that the cross-border haze originated from Indonesia and crossed into neighbouring international locations. — Screengrab from ASMC
