Syed Hamid should summon the Indonesian Ambassador to lodge the strongest protest of government and people  at the haze catastrophe exported annually to Malaysia and the Indonesian  bureaucracy and corruption holding up implementation of  effective anti-haze measures

Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  

(Ipoh, Saturday): It is indeed outrageous and scandalous that while Malaysians had for the past week been  choked by the noxious fumes  spread from hundreds of  fires in Sumatra, Indonesia had not acted on the offers of help from Malaysia and ASEAN to put out the fires and is using the traditional method of buckets of water to fight the raging fires.

The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar should summon the  Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia to register the strongest possible protest of  the government and the condemnation of the people of Malaysia not only at the haze catastrophe which is exported annually by Indonesia to Malaysia, but also at the bureaucracy and corruption in Indonesia which is holding up the implementation of effective anti-haze measures.

Although President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has agreed in principle with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Malaysia assist in efforts to put out the raging fires in Sumatra, there is  no  sense of urgency  or responsibility by the Indonesian government at  the environmental, health and economic disaster the present haze catastrophe is causing Malaysia.

In this connection, the Minister for Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Peter Chin should not protect the Malaysian companies which are responsible for open burning in Sumatra, as the Prime Minister has acknowledged this when he said that he felt “wretched” that Malaysian companies are involved in such activities.

Peter Chin should release the names of the  24 Malaysian plantation companies, including Government-linked companies, operating in Indonesia, together with a statement whether they are involved in the open burning in Sumatra resulting in the current haze catastrophe, which  has not only caused  the declaration of haze emergency but reportedly responsible for  the death of as many as seven people from haze-related illnesses.

(13/08/2005)