Laws relating to transboundary haze are being drawn up that will enable the government to take firm action against anyone involved, including foreign companies.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the proposed laws differed from Singaporean laws that allowed action to be taken only against Singaporean companies.

“Singapore recently gazetted the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act adopted this year allow them to take action such as summonses on their own companies that caused haze.

“If (we have) jurisdiction through laws being drafted we can take action against all parties, whether they are from Malaysia, Indonesia or Singapore,” he told reporters after the ministry’s monthly gathering at Dewan Perdana Felda in Kuala Lumpur today.

Wan Junaidi urged Indonesia to immediately enforce stringent laws on those involved in the forest fires that caused the haze.

“I have informed the prime minister on the haze situation in the country and hope he will contact his counterpart in Indonesia soon,” he said.

- Bernama