Kuala Lumpur:The cross-border haze affecting Malaysia's air quality since August 8 is anticipated to gradually diminish over the next two weeks due to changing wind patterns, according to Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malaysia entered the monsoon transition phase on October 9, and the northeast monsoon is expected to begin by the end of the month. Syed Ibrahim emphasized that while weather changes might offer a temporary reprieve, they are not a long-term solution to the haze issue. He called for enhanced domestic enforcement and regional cooperation to prevent future incidents during a Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat.
The haze was described as a national crisis impacting public health, safety, and the economy by Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), with additional concerns raised by Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-Bandar Kuching) and Young Syefura Othman (PH-Bentong). Yii proposed the introduction of a Cross-Border Haze Pollution Act and greater transparency in sharing hotspot data. Young Syefura sought details on diplomatic efforts with Indonesia and advocated for stronger domestic enforcement and protection for vulnerable groups.
Syed Ibrahim attributed the recent haze episode to increased forest and land fires in Indonesia, particularly in Kalimantan and Sumatra, which have affected air quality in Malaysia, especially in Sarawak. Between August 3 and October 9, the Department of Environment received 2,104 complaints and conducted 3,039 enforcement actions, including monitoring, field orders, notices, compounds, and court actions.
To mitigate the haze, the government carried out 11 cloud seeding operations between August 30 and October 15 with the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Management Agency. Syed Ibrahim noted the challenge of enforcing cross-border pollution laws due to difficulties in obtaining evidence and identifying responsible parties. He also mentioned that there had been no official information from relevant ministries about Malaysian companies' involvement in open-burning incidents in Indonesia.