TANJUNG MALIM: The government will refine the need to continue drafting the Cross-Border Pollution Bill in addressing the issue of haze so that it can be prevented and controlled.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the drafting of the bill faces several constraints including the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (ATHP).
"When we want to make the Cross-Border Haze Bill, we also look at the experience of countries that already have such a bill, such as Singapore. There are some constraints when we want to make (take steps to) that legislation.
"The most successful example is the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement because both countries involved can accept it and there is a commission to manage the agreement.
"We will try to look at all options including (continuing the drafting of) the bill or even improving the ATHP as a solution to the haze problem in line with Asean's goal of becoming a haze-free region by 2030," he said.
Nik Nazmi said this in a press conference after attending the Perak Siswa Madani Transformation Programme at Dewan Tuanku Canselor Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) here, today.
On Aug 25, 2020, the Environment and Water Ministry in a written answer to a question by Yeo Bee Yin said that the government would not proceed with the proposed drafting of the bill after examining the appropriateness of the bill.
The ministry said the study covers the feasibility of implementing the law, diplomatic relations and elements of environmental pollution prevention. The issue of cross-border haze could not be resolved only by formulating acts or laws.
The ATHP, which was the first regional proposal in the world, aimed to mitigate and prevent haze pollution through concentrated nationwide efforts and sought to increase regional and worldwide cooperation. Its implementation requires, among others, that each member state enact appropriate domestic legislation.
Though Malaysia was the first country to have ratified the ATHP in 2002, until today, it has yet to enact its domestic Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. Indonesia, on the other hand, only ratified ATHP in September 2014. Until today, transboundary haze still recurs with no sign of a permanent solution.
Commenting on the current development of the haze situation in the country, Nik Nazmi said so far, the air quality situation is not as bad as the haze that hit the country in 2015 and 2019.
He believed it was due to the rainy weather and good steps taken by plantation companies in the country which seemed more sensitive to the haze issue.