Asean haze pact still relevant, says Wan Junaid

Sarawak’s Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar asserts that the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), now over two decades old, remains pertinent. However, he emphasizes the need for advanced technology and methods to effectively combat the issue. Wan Junaidi, who previously served as Malaysia's natural resources and environment minister from 2015 to 2018, emphasizes that blaming any party is unjustified.

He reaffirms his belief in the well-thought-out nature of the agreement, stating that the focus should now be on devising effective strategies to tackle the haze.

The AATHP was initially signed in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 and came into force in 2003. Its primary objective was to establish a regional framework for shared monitoring, prevention, preparedness, and response to transboundary haze. In 2015, Wan Junaidi offered Malaysia's Bombardier CL-415MP amphibious aircraft to Indonesia to assist in combating forest fires, noting that Malaysia was also affected by the haze.

In 2016, Indonesian personnel visited Miri to examine the watchtowers, sprinkler systems, and firebreaks constructed to prevent the spread of fires. Despite these cooperative efforts, Wan Junaidi highlights the unique challenges posed by Borneo's terrain, such as the difficulty in accessing high-risk areas within the forested and rural regions.

Malaysia has proposed providing assistance to Indonesia in combating the latest wave of transboundary haze, including the implementation of cloud-seeding operations in Indonesian airspace. Wan Junaidi underscores the importance of cloud seeding only where forest or peat fires are occurring, emphasizing that the early warning system for fires should be improved and that new technologies and methods should be explored to combat forest fires.

He also acknowledges that while regional cooperation is crucial, Sarawak's response cannot solely rely on collaboration with other Asean countries. The state must take its own responsibilities, including fire detection, monitoring, land and peat management, creating public awareness, and raising the preparedness of firefighting teams.

Wan Junaidi proposes that Malaysia should have more than two Bombardier aircraft to effectively respond to forest and peat fires, enabling the Asean nations to pool their resources and extinguish the fires in Jambi and Kalimantan.