Minister Khairy Hopes Indonesia Continues To Tackle Haze Problem

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia), Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin hopes the Indonesian government will continue proactive measures to overcome the haze issue in the country and avoid causing a negative impact to Malaysia, especially the 29th Kuala Lumpur SEA Games and 9th ASEAN Para Games. Khairy said Indonesia’s efforts to enforce measures to overcome the haze phenomenom since 2015 has been showing positive results. "If we look at the satellite images of hotspots, fires, most have been successfully curtailed in 24 hours and I hope the Indonesian side will ensure it continues to be under control,” he said. He was met by reporters after visiting a training session for shooting athletes at the National Shooting Range here Tuesoday. In the meantime, Khairy said the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Ministry would also play a role to help monitor the haze development to ensure the biennial event goes smoothly. KL2017 takes place on August 8-30. “I had a meeting with the NRE minister Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar last week on the haze problem and NRE ministry is prepared to monitor the situation,” he said. Haze, which engulfed the nation in 2015, forced the closure of schools and several national level outdoor events to be cancelled. Last month, Wan Junaidi said Indonesia took a careful approach and gave assurance that the problem of haze would not recur in Malaysia. -- BERNAMA