[Kabar-indonesia] Haze will plague region for years unless ASEAN acts: Malaysian Minister

[Joyo at aol.com]

Malaysia's Najib speaks on importance of ASEAN haze fund 

PEKAN, Malaysia, Oct. 7 (The Star/ANN): So long as there is no agreement 
among the ASEAN member countries on the setting up of a haze fund, the problem 
will continue to plague the region for years to come, Malaysian Deputy Prime 
Minister said Saturday.

Najib Tun Razak said the haze was a complex issue where the resources to 
fight 
the forest fires in Indonesia was limited, while the much-needed tools to 
effectively put out the large tracts of forest fires were costly.

"We have been discussing among the members, but we have yet to reach a 
consensus on the setting up of a haze fund.

"Right now, one of the most needed equipment would be the water bombers, 
which are expensive aircraft, but would help alleviate or at least reduce the haze 
problem," he said.

Asked if ASEAN members had volunteered their services to help the Indonesian 
government to put out the forest fires, he said there were offers, but there 
had not been a positive response from Indonesia, accepting the assistance.

Najib also stressed that there were protocols to follow if the government 
decided to declare a state of emergency in any Malaysian state should the haze 
situation worsen. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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