Malaysia and Asean neighbours press for quicker haze response mechanism

MANILA, November 15 — The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are pushing for a faster establishment of their transboundary haze control coordination centre, according to the Philippine News Agency (PNA). This demand came during the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay City, amid rising worries over the severe haze pollution that recently impacted several Southeast Asian nations.

Forest fires in Indonesia have been the primary cause of the hazardous haze, with thick smog spreading as far as the Philippines, leading to school closures in the second half of the year. In the meeting, Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro mentioned that her country was taking action to tackle the haze pollution and doing its best to address the issue.

Both Singapore and Malaysia expressed positive reactions to Indonesia's statement, with Malaysia indicating that Indonesia's actions were significant and beneficial to the current situation. The Asean has been dealing with the ongoing haze problem through discussions on national actions and regional cooperation to mitigate land and forest fires.

The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, adopted in 2002, mandates the bloc to establish the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) to manage the impact of such pollution.