Malaysia's content with RI forest fire control<\/p>\n
PEKANBARU, Riau (JP): Malaysia is satisfied with the
\nprecautions Indonesia has taken to prevent forest fires, a source
\nof complaints in the past because of the smoke drifting over into
\nits territory.<\/p>\n
A senior official of the Malaysian Ministry of Science,
\nTechnology and Environment concluded a tour to check on the
\nprecautions taken by the Indonesian authorities with a thumbs up
\nverdict.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is better prepared now, not only at the government
\nlevel but also among the community,\" Tengku Bakry Shah bin Tengku
\nJohan, the principal assistant director of the department of
\nenvironment, said on Thursday. \"Communities still need more
\neducation on land clearing methods without burning,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tengku Bakry was one of several officials from Malaysia and
\nSingapore invited to tour Indonesia for the past week on a
\nprogram called transboundary air pollution. The delegation
\nvisited East Kalimantan and Riau.<\/p>\n
The program, organized by the Office of the State Minister of
\nEnvironment, follows a June agreement among the Association of
\nSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to cooperate in the prevention
\nand handling of forest fires.<\/p>\n
Last year's fires from forests and land clearing activities in
\nKalimantan and Sumatra led to complaints of health hazards due to
\nsmoke affecting neighboring Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei
\nDarussalam.<\/p>\n
This year, Indonesia has set up a national land and forest
\nfire management team under the coordination of the Minister of
\nEnvironment and implemented by the Ministry of Forestry.<\/p>\n
\"We hope fires will not occur again, but if they do, we are
\nbetter prepared,\" said Surna Djajadiningrat, assistant to the
\nMinister of Environment in policy coordination, who escorted the
\nguests during the tour. \"However we do not have a mechanism at
\nthe ASEAN level yet; so far we do not know who will be in charge
\nof transboundary pollution.\"<\/p>\n
Surna said that for 1995, Indonesia may be spared major forest
\nfires of the scale seen last year.<\/p>\n
However, in anticipation of major forest fires in the future,
\nthere should be a regional \"fire brigade\", Surna said, adding
\nthat he hoped the issue would be raised during an ASEAN
\nministerial meeting on transboundary pollution in Singapore on
\nSept. 11 and 12.<\/p>\n
Tengku Bakry told The Jakarta Post that a regional
\norganization should be established that would detect forest fires
\nearly and determine the course of action.<\/p>\n
\"This 'focal point' would be (the reference) for an early
\nwarning and response plan, and would decide on the acceptance of
\nassistance from outside countries,\" Tengku Bakry said.<\/p>\n
An official of the Singapore Ministry of the Environment said
\nhis country will continue to provide Indonesia with satellite
\nimages taken by its meteorological office.<\/p>\n
Such data could alert the authorities of any impending forest
\nfires, Koh Kim Hock, a senior engineer at the Ministry's
\npollution control department, said.<\/p>\n
\"We are experienced in fires where the sources are clear,
\nmainly industrial and street fires,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Surna said that assistance from Malaysia can be expected in
\nthe sharing of experience in land clearing methods which do not
\ninvolve burning.<\/p>\n
The tour program, which aimed to expose delegates to the
\ncomplexity of forest fires and various steps to prevent and
\nhandle them, also involved eleven reporters from Malaysia and
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
The last day of the program in Riau covered a visit to an
\nindustrial timber plantation, PT Arara Abadi, which supplies raw
\nmaterial to PT Indah Kiat, a pulp and paper factory.<\/p>\n
In line with a new regulation this year, the companies no
\nlonger burn their unused timber but process them into chips.
\n(anr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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