The haze is here again. It hovers over, haunts, and hides Bolehland, turning parts of the country into a hell hole. The citizens of Bolehland find it hard to understand. How can this still be happening considering its long recurring history of over 20 years?

Almost every year, our neighbour seems indifferent to high-handed and heedless companies hell-bent on burning their forests thereby turning the whole region into a humongous hotspot.

And almost every year the Indonesian government would shout itself hoarse that it would use every means to halt the haze. But it has been a mere hue and cry nothing more.

Indeed it has been more hype than hope when it comes to handling the haze. In spite of the hosts of committees and collaborative efforts, the truth hangs heavily before us. The current haze makes it very clear that the Asean Working Group On Trans-boundary Pollution - which first met in 1990 - has all along been only hot air over hotspots.

The current haze also reduces the National Committee on Haze, set up in 1991, to nothing more than just hogwash or a high-level hoax. Equally obvious is the fact that the Early Warning Committee set up in as early as in 1992 has been but pure political propaganda and sheer humbug.

Based on the severity of the current haze, it is evident, too, that the Air Pollution Task Force set up in 1993 has been hibernating. The current haze is also an indication that the Clean Air Action Plan - which the then cabinet froze in 1994 because it felt that Malaysia's air 'had yet to reach a serious air pollution level' - has since remained on hold.

Judging from the current situation, the Haze Action Plan approved by the then cabinet in August 1997 has also proven to be but a high-sounding plan with hollow promises.

Alas, the current haze bears all the hallmarks of a government which was very contented for 22 years to make a big hoo-ha over the haze, to dish out hazardous hype when handling it but leave everything to the winds.

Will Pak Lah be like his predecessor in sending a horde of high officials who will accept Indonesia's humble apologies, hum niceties and nonsense, cook up some half-baked solutions, hold hands, hug, and return home happy till the next haze?

Or will Pak Lah have the courage to put a stop to the hullabaloo, hold the Indonesia government responsible for the impact of the current haze on our country, and also ensure a curb on homespun pollution?