Stop making excuses and apologise for haze, Johor Pakatan tells Indonesia

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) has urged the Indonesian government to abandon its dismissive posture towards the transboundary haze choking Malaysia and immediately cease making unconstructive remarks.

Johor PH chief Andrew Chen Kah Eng also demanded that Jakarta take full responsibility for the cross-border environmental crisis and formally apologise to affected Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states.

“Allowing the haze that has PM2.5 fine particles to pollute the air of other countries is unacceptable, more so as the situation threatens public health.

“Malaysians are suffering due to this pollution, yet your officials seem to be disregarding the issue of our health.

“Such an attitude is unacceptable. The health and lives of l people are not matters to be taken lightly," he said in a statement today.

The Stulang assemblyman and DAP leader said the recurring pollution must be handled with accountability and urgency to safeguard the welfare of regional populations.

He pointed out that both the United Nations and Asean have formally declared access to a clean, safe, and healthy environment as an inalienable universal human right.

Chen’s remark follows controversial remarks made on Saturday by Syahganda Nainggolan, head of Indonesia's Government Communication Agency, who asked Malaysia and Singapore to accept the forest fires as a natural phenomenon while claiming that Indonesian forests provide oxygen to both countries when there is no smoke.

Chen condemned the remarks as irresponsible, warning that trivializing forest and peatland blazes as an act of nature ignores the man-made practices driving transboundary pollution.

The diplomatic row comes as Johor battles severe haze, which forced the state to close schools last week.