KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may introduce legislation to tackle transboundary haze pollution, similar to Singapore's existing law, but obtaining sufficient evidence against those responsible remains a major challenge.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said there was no legal impediment to introducing such legislation, provided it went through the necessary processes and received Parliament's approval.
"Regarding whether we can implement legislation similar to Singapore's, the answer is yes.
"However, any proposed law must be carefully developed to ensure it is necessary, enforceable and capable of supporting punitive action," he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
Syed Ibrahim was responding to a supplementary question from Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) on the possibility of introducing a cross-border haze law and whether Malaysia would address weaknesses in Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act when drafting its own legislation.
He said the main challenge was gathering sufficient evidence to identify the source of pollution and those responsible.
"This includes obtaining information on the locations and coordinates of fire-affected areas, land ownership, parties conducting activities on the land, and evidence linking a fire incident to the haze pollution experienced across the border."
Syed Ibrahim acknowledged that obtaining such information could be difficult, making thorough investigations and assessments necessary before legal action could be taken.
He said such legislation could also deter open burning and other activities that threatened public health and the environment, including in neighbouring countries.
The recurring haze problem, he said, required a comprehensive solution, with evidence supporting enforcement and the law, alongside continued diplomatic engagement.
Syed Ibrahim said Malaysia would continue working with Indonesia and other Asean countries through the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, the Asean haze-free vision for 2030, science diplomacy and the proposed Sustainable Haze Fund.
"We must not regard diplomacy as meaning that we should remain silent or accept a situation that recurs every year.
"Diplomacy must produce measurable action, while enforcement must be based on evidence and the law."
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