Haze: Test in Jakarta-KL ties

By Paridah Abd. Samad

JAKARTA (JP): Malaysia has a very long history of bilateral ties with Indonesia, disrupted only during a confrontation in the mid-1960s. Gen. Soeharto was then one of the key people on the Indonesian side to help end the confrontation.

When he became President, and with ASEAN established in 1967, the mostly social and cultural ties between the two countries developed another significant dimension -- economic ties. And these have blossomed over the past 30 years.

The current haze problem in Malaysia seems to be one of the most significant issues since the confrontation that could affect the good relations between two neighbors. But it is very unlikely that the relations could worsen.

With President Soeharto still strongly at the helm, and the Malaysian people vividly remembering Soeharto's initiative to end the confrontation, Malaysians again look upon him as the key person to stop the suffering experienced by the population from the forest fires.

In other words, the haze issue that could have disturbed the relations between the two countries needs the ability and sincerity of both countries to deal with it wisely and diplomatically.

The fires, which have been described by the United Nations as an "environmental emergency", have caused a choking haze which has enveloped Malaysia and neighboring countries since July, affecting individual health and the well-being of these countries' economies for years to come. It has caused inconveniences and brought about undue worry to the people.

It has been reported that the haze could cause delays for foreign investors investing in Malaysia and postpone foreign companies' operations until the situation clears. The haze was also said to have caused the sinking of Vikraman, with 29 seamen missing, after it collided with an oil tanker on Sept. 26 in the Strait of Malacca.

Barely 27 hours after that ship sank, another collision was reported on Sept. 28, when visibility dipped to 500 meters. None of the 26 crew members from the Malaysian registered Rohasria oil tanker was injured.

Heading towards unhealthy levels, the persistent haze was sending an increased numbers of residents overseas and elsewhere in search of clearer skies. The haze was also preventing tourists from coming to the country.

A total of 574 flight cancellations, 203 delays, 24 diversions and 32 forced overflights within two weeks in September, is a heavy price for any airline to pay as far as passengers' complaints and confidence are concerned.

Sarawak lost millions of ringgit when it was put under a state of emergency for 10 days. At the height of the haze, Sarawak recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 839.

Tens of thousands of peoples from Malaysia have sought treatment for skin and respiratory problems. The short-term effects include irritation of the nose, throat and eyes, upper respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia), headaches, nausea, allergic reactions and aggravation of medical conditions like asthma and emphysema.

The long-term efforts include chronic lung disease, lung cancer, heart disease, damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver and effects on the lungs of growing children.

A group of Japanese expatriates in Malaysia have expressed concern about the unknown effects of the haze. Using state-of-the-art equipment to measure the API and monitor air quality, a study was carried out by Japanese experts on the effects of the haze on people.

Malaysians have been made to understand that the fires, blamed on land-clearing efforts, had been worsened by drought brought on by the El-Nio weather phenomenon, affecting up to 800,000 hectares of land.

Initially, Malaysians were somewhat disappointed at some Indonesian officials' rejection of the blame for the haze blanketing the region by arguing that one of the culprits was El Nio, which sucks moisture from the western side of the Pacific Ocean, disrupting normal weather patterns, including prolonged dry spells in much of the region.

Malaysian officials at the Seventh ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Jakarta last month had a tough time making their Indonesian and other ASEAN counterparts realize the severity of the haze problem.

With the haze reaching a critical level, Malaysia was in desperate need of proof that Indonesia was taking effective measures to put out its forest fires. Soeharto's apology for the problems caused by the forest fires came as a great relief to Malaysian officials because it meant that Indonesia has accepted responsibility. It is rare for any head of state to apologize.

Since 1990, Malaysia has strived at the regional level, through the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment forum, to obtain the cooperation of ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, to strengthen preventive measures. As early as five years ago, there was a proposal made to the Indonesians to have a monitoring system to combat forest fires, in which Malaysia could participate.

Although the Malaysian government could have informed Indonesia about the economic losses and health problems Malaysians have suffered as a result of the severe haze, about the millions of ringgit the country has spent to fight the problem, it is not pointing the finger at Indonesia.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, instead of exchanging insults and accusations which may lead to friction between the two nations, has appealed for the cooperation of all involved parties to find an amicable solution to the problem.

Initially, Malaysia was "visibly upset" because the Indonesian authorities chose to delay the process of putting out the fires by making Malaysian firemen wait for two weeks before being allowed to enter the country. Eventually, Indonesia gave approval for Sabah and Sarawak to send in their firemen to help control the raging forest fires in Kalimantan.

In trying to understand the difficulties of Indonesian authorities to tackle the problem, as there is no efficient mechanism to fight the fires, Anwar clearly mentioned that Malaysia will not seek compensation from Indonesia.

There are sections in society who have pressured the government to ask for compensation, thinking that not enough effort is being made by the Indonesian authorities to end this misery. These sections are just not aware of the efforts made by the Indonesian authorities to put out the forest fires since May because the efforts were largely hidden and unnoticed.

Although there was a communication problem in the beginning, the situation appears more positive now as Indonesia has taken more effective measures to fight the fires.

Malaysia has shown its appreciation regarding Indonesian efforts, frankness and openness to discuss the problem. Besides suffering from its own internal damages, Indonesia has to maintain the country's reputation and ASEAN strength.

Malaysia's rather "unusual" initiative of sending firefighters and equipment to help put out the fires indicate the willingness of the country to preserve the good relations with Indonesia.

Malaysia has sent a 2,000-strong fire-fighting team to battle the fires. The Royal Malaysian Air Force has also conducted several cloud-seeding sorties over Kalimantan.

The Meteorological Services Department and the Royal Malaysian Air Force have carried out cloud-seeding missions almost everyday, costing millions of ringgit.

The forest fires and haze are a real acid test to current relations between Malaysia and Indonesia. Only wisdom and diplomacy on both sides would avoid disrupting relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The writer is a senior lecturer at MARA Institute of Technology, Shah Alam, Malaysia. previously visiting research fellow of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Tokyo, Japan.