SEREMBAN, Oct 16 — Malaysia will continue to use diplomatic channels and Asean mechanisms to address the transboundary haze issue with Indonesia through a phased approach that prioritises its people’s interests and health, without jeopardising bilateral relations, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said discussions between leaders and regional channels are the preferred approaches to addressing sensitive issues involving neighbouring countries, rather than legal enforcement measures or the issuance of diplomatic notes.
“We have not reached that stage yet. It is easy to talk about taking legal enforcement action, but doing so would mean we were prepared to sever relations.
“We have not reached that point, so there is no need to issue a diplomatic note. Such a note is a last resort,” he told reporters after presenting contributions to senior citizens and assistance for further studies in the Rembau parliamentary constituency here yesterday.
He said Malaysia’s position does not mean the government is doing nothing about the persistent haze, but that it is pursuing a more comprehensive approach to finding a joint regional solution while remaining ready to help Indonesia tackle the fires responsible for the haze.
“I have instructed the Foreign Ministry’s secretary-general to take this up, and was informed yesterday that a coordination meeting will be held to discuss how Malaysia can help Indonesia tackle the fires. The Indonesian government is making concerted efforts to put them out, but the task is not easy,” he said.
Mohamad said the Japanese assistance team had also been forced to pull out because of difficulties accessing the fire sites.
“Our helicopters cannot operate either, as the haze is so thick that flying would be dangerous,” he said, adding that visibility is less than 50 metres, making flying extremely dangerous.
In a related development, Mohamad said Malaysia will submit a non-paper at the upcoming Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting and Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting as part of efforts to strengthen regional mechanisms to address transboundary haze.
The move also aims to enable the haze issue to be discussed within the natural disasters framework, he said, paving the way for Asean to strengthen its regional response and cooperation.
The media had previously reported that Malaysia would raise the issue of transboundary haze at the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting ahead of the 49th Asean Summit in Manila, the Philippines, next month, to discuss more effective regional mechanisms to address the problem. — Bernama