Indonesia should amend its fire management system and laws if they want the transboundary haze problem to be resolved.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Indonesian laws still permitted burning on land areas of less than 0.8 hectare.

He said the peat soil management in that neighbouring country was also less effective and had contributed to burning and hazy condition there.

"In Malaysia we no longer allow such burning and we hope the Indonesian side also do the same so that transboundary haze can be overcome and reduced," he told reporters after officially opening the Sarawak GiatMara graduation cremony in Kuching today.

He said Malaysia could control the open fire because apart from having strict laws, it had efficient peat soil management to prevent forest fires.

"However, I still believe the promise made by the Indonesian government during the Asean ministerial level meeting that it will take necessary measures to overcome the transboundary haze problem by 2020," said Wan Junaidi.

Asked on the haze that hit Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Selangor and several places in the peninsula, he said it was caused by fires in Sumatra, Riau, Pekan Baru and Kalimantan.

He said the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings nationwide were still at a healthy level except in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam which surpassed 100 this morning.

“Sarawak is fortunate as the wind does not blow towards the state and so far it is free from haze," he said.

Wan Junaidi also denied claims by several quarters that said the API readings were inaccurate because even though Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam were covered by thick haze, the API readings were still at a healthy level.

The thick haze due to smoke did not mean that it was at a hazardous level as the API reading also took into account floating hazardous materials, including emissions from vehicles, he added.

- Bernama