Jerebu tak sudah, KJ bidas ‘republik pisang’ Indonesia

Former Malaysian minister Khairy Jamaluddin has criticized Indonesia for failing to prevent devastating forest and land fires in Kalimantan, which have now become a severe crisis in Malaysia, particularly Sarawak. Khairy blames the weak enforcement of Indonesian authorities and the country's weak record in holding environmental causes responsible. He apologizes to his Indonesian friends for Malaysia's proximity to a world third country.

Khairy calls Indonesia a "banana republic," stating that recurring environmental causes such as repeated land clearance through open burning often take years to address, while Jakarta's response to the issue is passive. He highlights the lack of enforcement, corporate resistance, and the practice of cheap land clearance, as well as the burning of land persisting as usual.

The group, Walhi, attributed the fires in Indonesia largely to forest clearance for palm oil plantations, logging, and other land clearance activities. They also pointed out that the El Nino phenomenon exacerbates the situation.

The air quality in Serian, Sarawak, reached dangerous levels with an Air Pollution Index (API) of 521. Khairy criticized ASEAN for its inability to manage the recurring crisis adversely affecting the health of hundreds of millions of people across Southeast Asia. The former Pemuda Umno leader points out that the Joint Declaration on the Transboundary Interruption Block, signed by Jakarta, lacks teeth, enforcement, or accountability to curb the crisis.

He emphasizes that the agreement is based on cooperation, information sharing, capacity building, such as joint training exercises, scientific research without any barriers, and penalties for countries and companies involved from other nations.

This means that we cannot hold companies accountable for the fires occurring within their jurisdiction, he adds, while stressing the principle of non-interference among ASEAN nations. Khairy also refers to Malaysia and Singapore having previously attempted to strengthen transboundary fire laws by allowing civil action against companies with a connection to forest and land fires.

However, he states that Indonesian enforcement against companies is largely symbolic. The issue remains an annual problem that does not seem to have a solution, he remarks.