Malaysia brings cross-border haze to ASEAN foreign ministers
New: The issue is on the prep agenda for the Manila ASEAN summit as smoke from Indonesia’s fires blankets Malaysia.
Malaysia will bring the cross-border haze issue to the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila next month, saying the current regional disaster mechanism does not cover the problem. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said he would raise the issue directly with his counterparts. Philippine Foreign Ministry spokesman Dominic Xavier Imperial confirmed that haze is already on the agenda for the preparatory meeting before the ASEAN summit. Smoke from forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in recent weeks has blanketed Malaysia and Singapore, triggering a rise in respiratory complaints and school closures in several parts of Malaysia, including Johor. Mohamad also said poor visibility is hampering aerial firefighting in Indonesia.
Sources
Earlier in this story
- 2 hours agoGovernment Rejects National Disaster Status for Wildfires
- 3 hours agoMalaysia brings cross-border haze to ASEAN foreign ministersreading now
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- 5 hours agoIndonesia deploys 60,000 personnel after Malaysia urges action on fires
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