KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should continue to assert pressure on the respective authorities to do more in solving the haze menace once and for all.
Social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the transboundary haze, which has become an annual problem to Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, should not be taken lightly despite the situation having improved over the past two weeks due to the monsoon season.
“The haze which hit Malaysia more than a month ago has affected the daily lives of many people, causing many of them to express their dissatisfaction on social and mainstream media.
“However, many Malaysians tend to forget about how bad the haze was after the situation gets better. This process is repeated every time haze occurs.
“Therefore, I would like to remind the public not to forget about the issue, but to continue putting pressure on the authorities,” he said in a statement today.
Lee said Malaysia needs to have its own cross border haze act, like Singapore with its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which allows legal action to be taken against those causing haze in the country.
“The Energy, Science, Technology, Environment, and Climate Change Ministry’s proposal to establish our very own cross border pollution act is a necessary step and I hope that the process for submission to the cabinet will go smoothly.
“The Malaysian government must have a clear and concise stance on this haze issue, along with discussions with neighbouring countries on measures to resolve the issue for the sake of health and environmental protection and subsequently to achieve the ‘Haze Free’ status soon.”
