wild places | wild happenings | wild news
make a difference for our wild places

home | links | search the site
  all articles latest | past | articles by topics | search wildnews
wild news on wildsingapore
  Channel NewsAsia 9 Oct 06
Malaysia urges Indonesia to be more proactive in resolving haze problem
By Melissa Goh

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Time for UN to act on haze problem
Letter from Tan Shao Chong

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Jakarta should accept help to fight forest fires
Letter from Dr Lim Boon Hee

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Beat the haze. Shop less, eat less, use less to save environment
Letter from Betty Lau Pway Sian (Ms)

Today Online 10 Oct 06
A clear solution to a hazy problem
Frances Ong Hock Lin

Today Online 10 Oct 06
On haze, hot air, hauling in errant ones

Yahoo News 10 Oct 06
Malaysia warns of resentment as air pollution worsens
by Ivy Sam

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia's health minister has warned of resentment against Indonesia and economic fallout as thick haze caused by Indonesian forest fires caused a sharp deterioration in air quality.

Malaysia also issued a hazard warning for ships plying the Malacca Strait on Monday after haze caused visibility to drop along the vital waterway. Indonesia has been blamed for much of the haze from illegal land-clearing fires on Sumatra and the Indonesian portion of Borneo, and Health Minister Chua Soi Lek called on the country to step up its efforts to tackle the crisis.

"We hope that the Indonesian government becomes more proactive in helping to solve this problem, because it not only causes resentment among our people, it also has economic implications," Chua told reporters. "In terms of tourism, outdoor activities, even hawkers (street vendors) at night are affected," he said.

Visibility dropped in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island and parts of peninsular Malaysia's west and south, while the meterological department said it be below five kilometres (three miles) in the Malacca Strait until Thursday.

"This situation is hazardous to ships without navigational equipment," it said in a statement.

Environment department data showed air quality was at unhealthy levels in 14 areas in the country's west and south, including Kuala Lumpur and the administrative capital of Putrajaya.

In Kuala Lumpur, where the Air Pollutant Index hit an unhealthy reading of 159, people wore face masks on the streets to ward off sore throats and respiratory complaints. Streets were largely empty in Putrajaya, which registered a reading of 171, as people complained of stinging eyes and hoarse throats. A reading on the index between 101 to 200 is unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that Southeast Asian nations had to work together to combat the recurring crisis, and formulate a plan of action rather than merely signing agreements which achieved little.

"Since we are suffering together, let's try and solve it together, in terms of action," he told reporters. "It is one of those unfortunate things that we are not able yet to translate into something meaningful. There must be a political position."

In a sign of frustration with Jakarta, Chua said Indonesia was well aware of the consequences of the haze, which is an annual blight on the region. "The Indonesian government is fully aware of the problem that they have created for all of us here in ASEAN, more so for Singapore and Malaysia, as immediate neighbours," he said.

In Indonesia, light rains cleared one haze-choked region on Monday but poor conditions persisted in other areas with air travel disrupted and residents forced to don face masks outside.

Singapore has also been hit badly by the fog-like haze this year, with authorities issuing a health advisory Saturday suggesting people should cut outdoor activity, although the situation there improved on Sunday.

Channel NewsAsia 9 Oct 06
Malaysia urges Indonesia to be more proactive in resolving haze problem
By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Correspondent Melissa Goh

PUTRAJAYA : Malaysia has called on Indonesia to be more proactive in resolving the annual haze problem. Health Minister Chua Soi Lek warned that apart from the economic fallout, the issue has caused resentment among Malaysians towards Indonesia.

Air quality in 14 areas across Malaysia remains at unhealthy levels, with the Air Pollutant Index exceeding 100. In Kuala Lumpur, the index hit 159, while Putrajaya registered a reading of 171.

But Mr Chua says that so far there has been no rise in haze-related illnesses such as respiratory infections and conjunctivitis. The Minister warned however, that if the air pollutant index hits 300, higher than the very unhealthy level, schools will be closed and it will become compulsory for Malaysians to wear masks.

Mr Chua urged Jakarta to be more considerate and to act promptly to tackle the problem. He says the annual haze has caused many Malaysians to feel resentment towards Indonesia.

Mr said, "The Indonesian government is fully aware of the problem that they have created for all of us here in Asia, in ASEAN, more so for Singapore and Malaysia, as immediate neighbours. We hope that the Indonesian government becomes more proactive in helping to solve this problem because it not only causes resentment among our people, it also has (an) economic implication."

Malaysia declared a state of emergency last year after the Air Pollutant Index hit 500. Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar urged ASEAN countries to come together to tackle the problem.

He also called on Indonesia to ratify the regional trans-boundary haze pact that will enable monitoring, supervision and enforcement by its ASEAN neighbours. Mr Syed Hamid Albar said, "I think this is one of those unfortunate things that we are not able yet to translate to something meaningful. There must be a political commitment...not only (must) we sign the agreement but we must (also) put (in) money and expertise."

Malaysia fears the haze could hit tourism and small businesses, as visitors stay away.

The choking smog has already reduced visibility in the Malacca Strait, prompting Malaysia to warn ships to guard against accidents in the waterways.

The Malaysian public, fed up with having to put up with the choking haze year in and year out, want the authorities to end the blame game and start walking the talk. - CNA/ms

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Time for UN to act on haze problem
Letter from Tan Shao Chong

I REFER to the article, 'Haze anger but Jakarta can't do more' (The Sunday Times, Oct 8).

Haze has been a perennial problem in the region for almost 10 years. The reason Singapore had been spared the brunt of haze pollution in certain years is largely that Lady Luck favoured us with winds that directed the polluted air away from Singapore.

The fact that this time round the Pollution Standards Index has soared to a 10-year high indicates strongly that whatever measures that the Indonesian government and Asean as an organisation have been pushing over the past decade to discourage land clearing through slash-and-burn techniques have been grossly inadequate.

To hear the Indonesian government say that it has done all it could is truly disheartening. Regional efforts through Asean do not appear to be making much progress.

Perhaps it is time for an organisation such as the United Nations to step in and review what other measures can be introduced to improve the situation.

It had been reported in the papers some time back that Indonesia was considering the use of nuclear power as an alternative energy source. If past performance is an indication of its future commitment to environmental protection, we may end up facing the scourge of nuclear-waste pollution in the decades to come.

The damage to regional economies and health of the population at large would be a hundred times more dire than what is being experienced now.

As the largest country in South-east Asia, Indonesia owes it to its Asean neighbours to develop concrete action plans and have these plans implemented by all regional and provincial governments. Let us hope that there is no need to wait another 10 years for things to improve.

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Jakarta should accept help to fight forest fires
Letter from Dr Lim Boon Hee

I FAIL to comprehend the Indonesian government's stance on the perennial problem of haze that is poisoning its neighbours, caused by timber and oil-palm plantation companies clearing land for planting.

Why say that it can do nothing to stop the haze when all it needs to do is to haul up the people behind these companies and punish them severely when hotspots are detected on their concessions?

The fires will then stop automatically. Spare no one. It is only by sending the army into the hotspots to enforce the ban on burning and fight the fires will the haze problem be resolved.

Mere presidential 'scoldings' of ministers and provincial governments won't work.

Haze is a serious problem. According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution kills two million people prematurely each year.

If Indonesia really lacks the resources or has limited capacity to deal with the fires, why is it so unwilling to accept Singapore's offer of help to douse the forest fires through cloud-seeding to induce rain, and to assist Indonesian farmers in land clearing?

Malaysian firefighters are also willing to go in but they cannot enter Indonesia unless it allows them to do so.

The haze is making all of us very sick and some elderly folks have actually been tipped over into cardio-respiratory failure.

Indonesia cannot simply say that it is unable to do more and yet refuse international assistance. The world is not going to stand for this kind of transboundary violation.

Straits Times Online 10 Oct 06
Beat the haze. Shop less, eat less, use less to save environment
Letter from Betty Lau Pway Sian (Ms)

The haze and global warming - what can we, the ordinary people, do?

While we are angry and frustrated by the haze, let's also acknowledge that we the consumers are also partly responsible for the problem.

The fires are raging to clear more forests, raze old plantations (which adds to global warming) to plant more oil palm trees because we, the unstoppable consumer, want more and more products.

Palm oil is used not just for cooking and frying but also in making soap and many processed foods. Soon it will also be used as bio-fuel.

So here's a plea to all to shop less - less less for the sake of our health, and to reduce the waste and garbage that invariably get incinerated. This means more pollution.

Know that the haze acts as a shroud that traps the ultra-fine air pollutants from vehicles, factories, offices, shops, air conditioners etc.

We can stop using pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Stop using chemically toxic air fresheners.

Walk and cycle. Use public transport and car pools more often. Cut down the use of electrical appliances. Switch off the lights, television, air conditioners, hot water heaters, hot water pots when not in use.

Do not leave a stationary vehicle with the engine running. Carbon monoxide is one of the most deadly gases.

See former US Vice President Al Gore's award-winning documentary - An inconvenient truth - at Golden Village cinemas on October 26.

Plant a tree or green the balcony. A person who went to East Coast Park at the height of the haze said she breathed much easier there because the big shady trees had warded off the fumes.

I went to the Chinese Garden on the west coast but the air was thick with smoke because there are few trees there.

Today Online 10 Oct 06
A clear solution to a hazy problem
Frances Ong Hock Lin

"Tigers and elephants are fleeing the burning jungles. Birds are falling from the murky skies. School children are fainting at their desks. Ships are colliding at sea.

"As a filthy haze from vast Indonesian forest fires continues to darken the sky across seven South-east Asian nations, illness, ecological destruction and economic hardship are growing... "

After reading the above extract from The New York Times, you can be forgiven for thinking it describes the haze we have been experiencing over the past few days.

In fact, this article was published on Oct 26, 1997. Nine years have passed and the solution to this ecological disaster still seems hazy (pun intended).

After surviving the 1997 haze, we should have put in place a set of protocols agreed upon by Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia to prevent this from recurring.

This was partially achieved when the Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations) Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution was signed in 2002. Its objective is to prevent and monitor haze pollution as a result of land and/or forest fires which should be mitigated, through concerted national efforts and regional and international cooperation.

The problem is that as of August 2005, only seven out of the 10 member countries have ratified the agreement. Indonesia, where the fires originate, has yet to ratify the treaty.

If nothing more is done, the same excerpt quoted above might be used to describe the situation five, 10, even 15 years later.

Apart from the short-term effect of the haze where the effect on human beings is most noticeable, the haze also has long-term serious consequences.

According to Mr Klaus Toepfer, the United Nations Environment Programme's executive director, a study by 250 scientists released in 2002 showed that "the thick brown haze which forms over much of Asia during the tropical dry season could have profound effects on human health, crop yield and rainfall patterns in the Asian region".

It is reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the tropical Indian Ocean surface by as much as 10 per cent, with a larger percentage reduction over the Indian subcontinent.

Up till now, the haze has been dealt with as a national problem of Indonesia. It is easy to point the finger at corrupt local officials who turn a blind eye to allow plantation owners to continue clearing their land by setting fire to it. Similarly, it is easy to send satellite photographs of the hotspots and expect Indonesia to take action against the plantation owners, or to offer fire-fighting equipment.

Perhaps there is a need to change the way the haze problem is approached.

As the Asean agreement so aptly indicated, the haze does not respect national boundaries. It goes where the wind blows. Hence, the ownership of this problem should not rest on Indonesia's shoulders alone.

But what can we do as we do not wish to intrude on Indonesia's sovereignty? Perhaps a fund can be set up to provide plantation owners and farmers with incentives to clear the forest in other ways. An educational campaign could be embarked on to get farmers to look beyond their individual needs to the collective need of Asia.

This would be difficult. But if an effort is not made to change mindsets, the haze problem will continue. The recurrence of the haze has shown that this crisis cannot be solved at the individual or national level alone.

Are we ready to play a more active role, or do we continue to be content to breath in air with a PSI that exceeds 100, as it did on Saturday? The choice is clear.

The writer is an educator.

Today Online 10 Oct 06
On haze, hot air, hauling in errant ones

Letter from errol goodenough

Each year, as the haze descends upon us, we are subjected to the same litany of official statements.

First, a series of appeals by the Singapore and Malaysian governments for remedial action by Indonesia. The latter predictably responds with oft-repeated statements that the haze is caused by large-scale burning and that little can be done except to wait for the rainy season.

It does not help to be told the obvious year after year, while little appears to be done to tackle the problem.

One has to question Jakarta's resolve and commitment in this matter. It has been reported that Indonesia is still depending on data from Singapore to provide coordinates and hot-spot locations.

If something as basic as monitoring equipment is not in place after a decade, what of the even more onerous task of enforcement on the ground in Sumatra and Kalimantan? Will any significant offender ever be prosecuted?

To read that Indonesia has not even agreed to ratify the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution suggests that the authorities, unaffected in Jakarta, are indifferent to the scourge.

This lends credence to the growing perception that Asean "cooperation" is just so much hot air.

Letter from ho sie chiang

A few rich plantation owners, timber and forest-clearing companies are making themselves richer at the expense of our health.

Satellite pictures show us where the fires are. Can we pinpoint the owners of the land? This way, we could either boycott their products or sue them if they are listed/registered in Singapore.

Letter from lim boon hee

I fail to understand why our Asean neighbour says it can do nothing to stop the haze, when all it has to do is to haul up the errant companies and punish them when hotspots are detected on their concessions.

Only sending the army in to enforce the ban on burning, and to fight, the fires will work--merely scolding the ministers and provincial governments is not enough.

The World Health Organization states that air pollution prematurely kills two million people a year. If Indonesia lacks the resources or has a limited capacity to deal with the fires, why is it unwilling to accept Singapore's offer of help to douse the forest fires through cloud-seeding to induce rain and to assist Indonesian farmers in land clearing?
links
Related articles on Singapore: Haze
about the site | email ria
  News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes.
 

website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com