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From: AFP
Date: 06 May 1999
Time: 02:05:00
Malaysia, Indonesia show 'political will' to beat forest fires
KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 (AFP) - Malaysia and Indonesia Thursday demonstrated the political will to beat forest fires but took a swipe at the international community for stalling on promised aid. "They (international community) have promised us (aid). But nothing is forthcoming," Mohamed Rahmat, Malaysia's information minister said.
"There is strong political will between us to tackle this problem to the maximum," he asserted.
Malaysia and Indonesian authorities met here to discuss the forest fires in Indonesia in an attempt to prevent the recurrence of haze.
The two-day meeting of the joint-committee here was a follow-up to the agreement reached by the two neighbouring countries to jointly tackle the problem.
Mohamed, who is the national disaster relief and management committee chairman also said both Malaysia and Indonesia are ready to fight any forest fires together.
"In 1997, we were not ready. No joint-committees. But now we have a common standard operation procedure," he said.
Indonesia's disaster relief head Haryono Suyono echoed similar sentiments. "We are together. No bureaucratic obstacles. The technical team will meet whenever the need arises," he said.
Forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have entered the "dangerous category," officials said last week.
The fires, sparked by slash-and-burn land clearing, have raised new fears of haze dangers spreading to neighbouring countries, they said.
Forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo covered much of the region with a choking haze in 1997 and to a lesser extent in 1998.
Smoky haze from the fires, also started in land clearing operations, spread to surrounding countries disrupting business and transport, spawning health problems and driving away tourists.