Manila:Malaysia will address the transboundary haze issue at an upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting prior to the bloc's 49th Summit in Manila, the Philippines, next month. The aim is to discuss the development of more effective regional mechanisms to tackle this environmental problem.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan emphasized that the haze issue requires special attention, as it is not currently included in existing ASEAN mechanisms designed for natural disasters. He intends to personally bring up this matter with his ASEAN counterparts during the meeting.

Mohamad also shared insights on the latest efforts to extinguish fires in Indonesia. He mentioned that Arrmanatha Nasir, his Indonesian counterpart, informed him about the extremely poor visibility in the affected areas, which is hindering aerial firefighting operations. Indonesia has mobilized between three to four airplanes and 34 helicopters, but these cannot operate safely due to the low visibility. As a result, 60,000 personnel have been deployed to tackle the fires on the ground.

Challenges in Indonesia include fires located deep inland, limited water supplies, and ongoing smoldering in peatland areas. Cloud-seeding operations are currently not possible due to the absence of suitable cumulonimbus clouds. While Malaysia acknowledges the efforts made by Indonesia to manage the situation, Mohamad expressed hope that more effective measures would be taken, as the haze continues to negatively impact the public.