World
Sabah Lawmaker Urges Malaysia-Indonesia Pact to Combat Recurring Haze
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan's Luyang assemblyman Samuel Wong has called on the Federal Government to establish a permanent bilateral framework with Indonesia to address recurring transboundary haze, describing it as a public health crisis. Wong said the haze currently affecting Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia demonstrates the need for a more structured mechanism to tackle forest and peatland fires in the region. He emphasized that prevention should remain central to cooperation between the two countries, with both needing to strengthen early detection systems, land management practices and accountability measures. In a statement issued on Monday (Sept 7), Wong referenced reports indicating that Indonesia recorded 202,000 hectares of burnt land between January and July, with hotspots across Kalimantan and Sumatra producing hazardous to unhealthy air pollutant levels. He suggested that Malaysia and Indonesia develop a joint mechanism covering prevention, monitoring and emergency response, potentially including a rapid response system with coordinated water-bombing aircraft operations. Wong also called for stronger enforcement against deliberate burning and illegal land clearing, along with enhanced intelligence sharing that could include satellite data on hotspots and high-risk areas. "Haze does not recognize borders. For the health of our people, we cannot afford to wait for the next major haze episode before acting," he said. Meanwhile, Sabah's west coast areas including Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Beaufort, along with Labuan FT, continue to record unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 150. In contrast, the east coast areas of Tawau and Sandakan, as well as the interior district of Keningau, are reporting moderate API readings below 100.