No report of Malaysian companies involved in the Indonesia’s fires

KUALA LUMPUR - There has been no official report on the involvement of Malaysian companies in open burning in Indonesia.This has been was cross-checked with the Foreign Ministry as well as the Plantation and Commodities Ministry, said Malaysian Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.“If there are Malaysian companies involved, we can call up those with operations there and seek a swift resolution,” he said during a Special Chambers session in the Lower House of Parliament on Oct 13.Syed Ibrahim said the focus now is to strengthen the enforcement of domestic laws to curb open burning, improving information-sharing and closer cooperation among neighbouring countries.On a related matter, he said the Environment Department received 2,104 reports on open burning between Aug 3 and Oct 9.This resulted in 3,039 enforcement actions, comprising 13 compounds being issued, and two cases facing court charges, among others.Some 14 large scale fires across Sarawak and Johor were also extinguished during this same period.“There will be no compromise in enforcement,” he said.His statement came amid the worsening haze situation in Malaysia, which resulted in the closure of schools in several states.In September, an emergency was also declared in Serian, Sarawak after the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached a hazardous level of 521. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK