The ‘haze’ situation remains serious and many feeling it impact. The physical, mental and social costs are enormous and we have to move away from the ‘tidak apa’ attitude and finger-pointing that characterises this issue. While this is also serious in Indonesia, as a regional partner we need to step up and provide the necessary leadership to deal with this on-going challenge on a long term basis.

The ‘hazescreen’ hides much of the opportunity costs lost, the damage to human health, the environmental tragedy, the loss to education and tourism suffered by all the affected nations. Yet, the fact is that this haze problem has been with the region for over a decade.

Malaysian leaders are equally complicit in what is happening and it is because of this careless attitude that the region is continuously facing this challenge year in and year out. This signals a regional leadership crisis and even perhaps highlights corruption at the ground level. For Malaysia this is fortunately not an ethnic issue but one that affects all Malaysians

The same can be said for some of the other affected Asean nations in the region as this ‘hazescreen’ hides the difficulties that underlie regional cooperation and working together. There must be reasons and the time has come for some plain speaking.

Surely after more than a decade we should have reached a stage where we have an adequate regional response system in place. We never seem to be learning anything or moving forward in tacking this issue. It is as if we are facing this afresh on an annual basis and our citizens pay an annual cost - the haze levy.

Any corporate organisation worth its shares, be it Malaysian or a multi-national, will have in place adequate crisis management measures to deal with issues that arise common to the sector or anticipated issues for which a crisis management team would be in place to respond should a crisis happen.

There will be crisis management policies, response teams and an action plan including a media team. Yet, this does not seem to be the case with nation states. Without a plan of action and execution well founded and funded the region will remain a victim to human greed and callousness.

As chair of Asean, Malaysian leaders are now facing a credibility issue that diverts them from this focus. Asean lacks leadership and remains just a talk shop that meets to talk, eat and entertain but does little for its people. What is Asean’s contribution if any to deal with the haze crisis?

Had Asean been serious in terms of regional cooperation and response we would today have in place adequate proactive measures that would have dealt with this issue in a comprehensive manner or at least mitigate the seriousness of what we are today facing.

Strategies for adaptation would also have been in place. In this way people in the region would feel a sense of ‘Aseanship,’ a regional togetherness and oneness that will bond and bind the region.

Knowing the regularity of this challenge the affected member nations would by now have in place a crisis response process arising from mapping vulnerable areas, studying ways how peat fires could be extinguished, informing people and companies on the ground on the penalties that would be imposed arising from land clearing without appropriate steps being first taken.

Action should begin annually in July in anticipation and areas in Kalimantan, Sumatra and in Malaysia could be mapped out. There would be adequate communications on the ground and aerial surveys that would alert the response team to immediate action. Resources would be made available, companies would be involved and together action on the ground will contribute to making a difference.

Will to tackle the issue

These are all possible if there is a will to tackle the issue. Regional cooperation in this context lacks that will. Consider the loss of revenue arising from the haze to nations like Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei not to speak of Indonesia itself. All these nations could contribute to the costs of such initiatives.

This is a human problem caused purely by human callousness. Surely in this era of science, technology, and fire-fighting expertise available we need to share and together as regional partners develop the much needed capacity and expertise available in the region to deal with this transboundary challenge. Global assistance will be forthcoming if we are seen to take action.

Had we focussed on this years ago instead of just talking and meeting only when the crisis confronts us we would have moved further in both tackling and mitigating the seriousness of this issue. If the worst affected nations were to pool their resources I believe we would today have at least been able to manage the serious state we are now facing.

Visibility for landing is only at 2000 feet and some flights have had to be diverted. Why do we have to wait for a tragedy to happen to ask the serious questions that need to be addressed? While we cannot hold other nations accountable we must as Malaysians hold our national leaders accountable.

Why has Asean failed? Why has Malaysia not been able to provide the necessary leadership? The inability of our leaders to focus on an issue as serious as the ‘haze’ and to develop strategies that can be implemented shows a lack of real concern for the welfare of its citizens. Transboundary issues do call for efforts stressing regional cooperation.

With all our talk of Asean and regional closeness when issues stare us in the face we buckle and are not able to make the difference. Asean is like a chain. It is only as strong as its weakest link. The current challenge posed by the ‘haze’ reveals the weakest link.

This is why so many are disappointed and disillusioned with Asean. There are too many reasons why candid speaking is not allowed. So we remain in our little stinking swamps pointing our fingers at one another until the next season comes by. The ‘hazescreen’ hides our lack of inertia for disciplined action.

We are now told that an increasing number of hotspots and raging fires have been sighted in new locations. With the ‘El Nino’ like conditions indications are that there is every likelihood that haze conditions will possibly continue until March next year.

Malaysia is just now ready to help in Indonesia and has about 1200 firemen on standby. Typical of the late response, an after effect jump in to advertise that some action is finally being taken.

Opening up new areas for agriculture and palm oil is contributing to this challenge. Green cover is being removed and the dry conditions are causing low lying peat areas to smother and smoke out. We have had similar challenges in Malaysia and this is not something particularly new.

For the Malaysian resources and environment minister to remark that human intervention alone is inadequate is an astounding revelation! What should have been done at an earlier stage was never done. Shallow analysis by him with no execution plan on offer!

Facing numerous challenges

Already in Malaysia we are facing numerous challenges posed by rising prices, gst, toll increases and a loss of morale caused by a leadership that is unaccountable. Our Parliament is a good example of a rubber stamp and we have an executive that lords over the people a kleptocracy.

How long more have we to tolerate the intolerable? Corrupting is eating into the vitals of this nation and while we have slogans we do not have much substance to validate visionary expressions.

Added to all this is the regional haze which contributes to higher medical expenses. Our children have to sit for examinations under these difficult and trying conditions. It would indeed be a surprise if our Parliament would ever address this concern and crisis facing the nation.

So we continue to suffer in silence while the ‘hazescreen’ hides weaknesses that perhaps will never be addressed at all.