Have you been experiencing a slight dip in your health and air quality lately?
If you haven't already noticed, or perhaps had to clear your foggy glasses, it's that time of the year when Malaysians need to brace themselves for poor air quality caused by the annual forest fires in certain parts of Indonesia.
Indonesia has been grappling with recurrent forest fires for quite some time now. In case you've been living under a rock, these fires are far from natural; in fact, they're deliberately ignited as the quickest (albeit most detrimental) means of clearing extensive land for agricultural purposes. While they may be intentionally started, fires are an inherent part of nature, and sometimes they spiral out of control, leading to extensive burning that exacerbates global temperature rise and air pollution.
Now, the pertinent question is whether Indonesia is shouldering any responsibility to combat the haze that extends to Malaysia. Brace yourselves; the answer won't come as a shock, as it's a resounding "no."
Indonesia’s Environment Minister Denies Accusation Of Causing Haze
Even though clear geographical maps vividly display the wind patterns carrying haze from Indonesia into Malaysia, Indonesia's Environment and Forest Minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, responded to accusations of her country's responsibility for the haze. She contended that the reports on smoke distribution failed to demonstrate smoke crossing over to Malaysia.
In a press conference held in Jakarta, she asserted, "We diligently monitor the situation, and the data indicates no transboundary haze affecting Malaysia. In fact, the reports illustrate that the smoke in Indonesia is primarily concentrated in Sumatra and Kalimantan."
Uhhh, are you sure about that?
Siti also emphasized that Indonesian authorities are actively engaged in managing the smoke and have issued warnings to the 203 companies responsible for forest burning. In a significant move, they have also shuttered 20 companies participating in these activities, including those that are subsidiaries of Malaysian firms.
The Malaysian Environment Department attributes the country's deteriorating air quality to the transboundary haze originating from Indonesia, which has persisted since Friday, September 29th. As of 10 am today, October 3rd, the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) reported an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 157 in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, making it the most severely affected area by the haze.
Netizen Calls Out Indonesian Minister
The minister's comments quickly gained traction on social media, sparking widespread outrage among netizens who expressed their frustration with the recurring haze problem. Many criticized Siti for her statement and called on her to take greater responsibility for addressing the issue of open burning, which leads to the annual return of hazardous haze to Malaysia, often reaching severe levels.
Here’s some of the comments:
Menteri Indo buta? pic.twitter.com/2HnpY3eIys
— PuraPuraMike (@Mike_Devo) October 2, 2023
Habis yang kabur-kabur kat sini tu apa? Filter instagram? Amboi yashe tuu
— Mafuyu 🇵🇸 (@querenciayoon) October 2, 2023
Satu-satunya benda yg Indonesia takkan pernah claim dari Malaysia. JEREBU..
— Faiz (@rijal_faiz) October 2, 2023
Kau bayangkan kalau Malaysia pun dah teruk, apatah lagi rakyat Indonesia yang jadi mangsa jerebu. Bodoh punya menteri, bodoh punya company.
— JINX (@IkanJerungBiru) October 2, 2023
tak lintas tapi melalui? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/GsfIJ3Q0Un
— kred (@ejeler) October 2, 2023
If You Thought It Was Bad In Malaysia, It’s Doing Worse In Indonesia
In case you weren't aware, Jakarta was ranked as the world's most polluted city by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. They reported that the city consistently records unhealthy levels of air pollution nearly every day. Due to the severe pollution problem in the capital, Jakarta has undertaken several initiatives to combat air pollution. One significant effort involved the installation of 125 water mist generators throughout the city.
Furthermore, an additional 28 water mist units are currently being installed as part of the government's determined efforts to improve air quality. To address this issue, they have also introduced a protocol for watering over 290 road locations across Jakarta, collaborating with the city's Fire and Rescue Service department.
In response to these air quality concerns, residents of Jakarta have been strongly advised to wear KN95 or KN94 masks when outdoors. The Jakarta Health Service Department has cautioned against unnecessary outdoor activities to minimize exposure to polluted air.
As for the ongoing forest fires, tackling them has become quite challenging because Indonesia is currently experiencing its driest season since 2019, primarily attributed to the influence of the El Nino weather pattern. The situation has resulted in significant forest fires, with over 267,900 hectares (661,995.3 acres) of land burned this year alone. To put this into perspective, it's larger than the total of 204,894 hectares burned throughout the entirety of 2022, according to data from the environment ministry. Consequently, this has led to the spread of haze to numerous cities in Sumatra and Borneo.
Siti's comments as an environmental minister are concerning. Let's hope the Indonesian government takes effective measures to reduce the haze in the coming years.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media, Antara, Reuters, The Star & various cross-references for context.
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