ID :
206372
Sat, 09/10/2011 - 11:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/206372
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIA EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER RISE IN SUMATRA HOTSPOTS
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has sent a letter to Indonesia
expressing concerns after 600 hotspots with high temperature levels were
detected via satellite imagery in Sumatra this year.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas
said that the letter was sent on Friday to his Indonesian counterpart, State
Minister for Environment, Professor Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta.
Malaysia, however, believed that Indonesia was doing its best to manage the
situation, he told Bernama. "In fact in the past few years, they have improved
their response and efforts to tackle such fire."
Uggah is expected to meet his Indonesian counterpart at the Asean
Ministerial Steering Committee meeting in Bangkok on Sept 18.
Stressing that the haze was caused by the monsoon wind which had brought the
smoke from forest fires in Sumatra to several parts of Malaysia, Uggah said the
situation, however, was not as bad as it was in the past, especially in 1997 and
2005 when the air pollutant index readings hit record highs.
Asked on Malaysia's proposal for the creation of an Asean regional rapid
fire-fighting squad to tackle haze-related fires in member countries, he said,
the matter would be discussed at the 12th Meeting of Sub-Regional Ministerial
Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Bangkok on Sept 22-33.
"We will push for this unit because we need quick deployment should any
member country requires such assistance.
"It's not just about sending firefighters to other countries; it's also
about them coming to help us when the situation requires it," he said.
Malaysia sent 1,000 firefighters to help Indonesia tackle forest fires in
1997 and 124 in 2005 for a similar mission.
An emergency was declared in Sarawak in September 1997 at the height of the
haze crisis that year which was caused by forest fires in neighbouring
Kalimantan.
On Aug 11, 2005, an emergency was declared in Port Klang and Kuala Selangor
following the worsening haze situation due to the forest fires in Sumatra and
Riau, with the air pollutant index reaching 500.
expressing concerns after 600 hotspots with high temperature levels were
detected via satellite imagery in Sumatra this year.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas
said that the letter was sent on Friday to his Indonesian counterpart, State
Minister for Environment, Professor Dr Gusti Muhammad Hatta.
Malaysia, however, believed that Indonesia was doing its best to manage the
situation, he told Bernama. "In fact in the past few years, they have improved
their response and efforts to tackle such fire."
Uggah is expected to meet his Indonesian counterpart at the Asean
Ministerial Steering Committee meeting in Bangkok on Sept 18.
Stressing that the haze was caused by the monsoon wind which had brought the
smoke from forest fires in Sumatra to several parts of Malaysia, Uggah said the
situation, however, was not as bad as it was in the past, especially in 1997 and
2005 when the air pollutant index readings hit record highs.
Asked on Malaysia's proposal for the creation of an Asean regional rapid
fire-fighting squad to tackle haze-related fires in member countries, he said,
the matter would be discussed at the 12th Meeting of Sub-Regional Ministerial
Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Bangkok on Sept 22-33.
"We will push for this unit because we need quick deployment should any
member country requires such assistance.
"It's not just about sending firefighters to other countries; it's also
about them coming to help us when the situation requires it," he said.
Malaysia sent 1,000 firefighters to help Indonesia tackle forest fires in
1997 and 124 in 2005 for a similar mission.
An emergency was declared in Sarawak in September 1997 at the height of the
haze crisis that year which was caused by forest fires in neighbouring
Kalimantan.
On Aug 11, 2005, an emergency was declared in Port Klang and Kuala Selangor
following the worsening haze situation due to the forest fires in Sumatra and
Riau, with the air pollutant index reaching 500.
