Malaysia must not breathe Indonesia’s governance failure
Southeast Asia's skies aren't choking simply on bad weather; they’re choking on decades of Jakarta’s governance failure.
Malaysia must not be blamed for Indonesia's governance failures when it comes to transboundary haze pollution, according to a recent report. The air quality in Sarawak and Sabah has been dangerously high in recent months, affecting schools, businesses, and flights. The situation in Kuching has reached hazardous levels, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) surpassing 400 in some areas.
The issue is not new, as Indonesia has faced similar problems for years. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre warned of heightened transboundary haze risks due to below-average rainfall and prevailing winds during the El Niño climate conditions. Despite Indonesia having the necessary framework, including legislation, environmental bodies, satellite monitoring, and law enforcement, the problem persists.
Authorities have taken action, such as deploying personnel, initiating water-bombing and cloud-seeding runs, investigating companies, and arresting individuals for illegal burning. However, climate conditions cannot be used as an indefinite excuse for Malaysia to shoulder the blame for Indonesia's governance failures.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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