Jerebu: KJ tuntut kerajaan tegas dengan Indonesia

In a recent audio interview, former Malaysian Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin criticized Indonesia's handling of the deforestation crisis, stating that Malaysia needs to take a tougher stance with the Southeast Asian nation. While acknowledging the importance of diplomacy, Khairy expressed disappointment in the Malaysian government for not adequately protecting its citizens and interests.

He also repeated his criticism of Indonesia's lack of action in addressing the deforestation issue, which has been ongoing for two months. Despite Malaysia's limited ability to influence other countries, Khairy argued that the Southeast Asian nation should enact cross-border forest fire regulations to hold the Malaysian plantation company accountable for the environmental damage caused.

The country currently lacks any mechanism within ASEAN to punish Indonesia, according to Khairy. On Tuesday, Minister of Rural and Natural Resources Arthur Joseph Kurup suggested that the establishment of such laws should consider their effectiveness, diplomatic implications, and evidentiary requirements. He noted that tackling cross-border deforestation is particularly challenging due to factors like climate change, prolonged droughts, and agricultural practices.