PETALING JAYA: Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has denied targeting Indonesia as a nation in his call for Asean to exert pressure over the recurring transboundary haze, saying action should be taken against companies responsible for forest fires regardless of their domicile.
In a video posted on social media, Syed Saddiq said the issue was not about “Malaysia versus Indonesia”, but about protecting people in both countries from air pollution.
“Malaysian children are struggling to breathe. Indonesian children are struggling to breathe, too. Our flags may be different, but our need to breathe is the same,” he said.
His remarks came after former Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi criticised his call to treat Indonesia as an “outcast” in Asean over the recurring haze.
Lutfi said the haze should not be used for political grandstanding, adding that Indonesian firefighters had died battling the fires, and that hundreds of thousands of Indonesians were breathing in the smoke.
He also maintained that Malaysian plantation companies, which controlled up to 3.4 million hectares of land in Indonesia, with some having obtained financing from Malaysian banks, should not be exempt from responsibility.
In his video, Syed Saddiq agreed that Malaysian companies should be held accountable if there was evidence linking them to the forest fires.
He also said Indonesian authorities should take action against any company proven to have started the fires.
“These companies operate in Indonesia and are subject to Indonesian law. The power is in your hands.
“In my own Parliament, I have already called for action against Malaysian companies involved. Watch my full speech. Don’t edit it in a way that distorts the truth,” he said.
Syed Saddiq also challenged Lutfi’s interpretation of a Greenpeace report which he had cited during his debate in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said that while Lutfi had pointed out that 19 fire hotspots were linked to a Malaysian company, he had failed to mention that there were 6,811 hotspots linked to other companies.
“Do you want us to focus only on a company responsible for 0.3% (of the hotspots) while ignoring the other 99.7%?” he said.
“Do not speak loudly against one company and then remain silent about the others.
“In summary, this is not Malaysia versus Indonesia. It is about people who want clean air versus those who pollute it.”
Fires in Indonesia have blanketed parts of Southeast Asia in toxic smoke, forcing school closures, driving up respiratory illnesses, and curtailing outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Timor-Leste.