Malaysia is still safe from the haze which is affecting Riau in Sumatra at the moment, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He said according to reports received from the Meteorological Department, the country was still free from haze as the winds were not blowing towards the country.

"Nonetheless, we will take precautions including sending follow-up letters to the Indonesian government to propose the signing of an agreement between Malaysia and Indonesia on haze as we proposed in July 2015.

"We have sent nine letters including one personal letter from me. We have not received any replies or comments from the Indonesian government and ministry concerned," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

Malaysia was earlier optimistic of signing a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Transboundary Haze Pollution with Indonesia at the end of last year, but it has not been realised to date.

When the MOU comes into effect, it will open the way for wider cooperation between the two countries in combating haze, which occurs every year.

Jakarta yesterday declared Riau as an emergency area following fires spreading in the forest and plantations in Sumatra.

Not realistic

On another matter, commenting on the proposal by Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching) that the federal government raise oil royalty to Sarawak from five percent to 20 percent, Wan Junaidi, who is also the MP for Santubong, described the proposal as not being realistic at the moment, apart from provoking and pitting the state government against the federal government.

"What DAP has done is only to instigate the state government to bring up issues which the state government itself feels is not appropriate.

"So who are they (DAP) to tell the chief minister of Sarawak how to manage and govern the state, he knows better than you and I. This is merely to instigate, as they cannot even build a drain," he said.

Chong, when debating the motion of thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat today, had repeated the urging that Putrajaya raise the oil royalty for Sarawak to 20 percent.

- Bernama