Haze raised in sideline talks at Asean health ministers' meeting, says Dzulkefly
KUALA LUMPUR: The haze issue was raised on the sidelines of the 17th Asean Health Ministers’ Meeting, while Malaysia also discussed it with Indonesia bilaterally.
The haze issue was discussed during the 17th Asean Health Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, according to Malaysia's Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad. While the matter was not formally placed on the agenda, senior officials can continue the conversation at future meetings. Dzulkefly told reporters that the topic was raised on the sidelines of the meeting and needs to be pursued further.
Malaysia plans to hold bilateral discussions with Indonesia concerning the haze issue, but it requires follow-through. The Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, emphasized the need for Asean ministers to give the matter serious consideration, given its potential impact on public health, particularly for children and infants. Anwar stated that the current Asean mechanism for addressing transboundary haze requires improvement as smoke from Indonesian forest fires continues to affect Malaysia.
Indonesia's fires across Borneo and Sumatra islands released over 23 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions between August 28 and September 3, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
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