'Don't deny, more than 2,000 hotspots have been detected in Kalimantan'

KUALA LUMPUR - Sarawak's Energy and Environmental Sustainability Deputy Minister Dr Hazland Abang Hipni has called on Indonesia to stop denying that transboundary haze is caused by forest and land fires in the country.

Hazland cited data from the Asean Special Meteorological Center (ASMC) that detected 2,203 hotspots around Kalimantan compared to only four in Sarawak from Sept 20 to 28.

"This is data from ASMC, not from Malaysia. So how can they deny a situation like this?" he said.

He was commenting on the statement of Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, who denied that forest and land fires in Indonesia caused the haze situation in Malaysia.

Hazland said the issue of cross-border haze is expected to be discussed in the upcoming Malaysia-Indonesia Socio-Economic Cooperation (SOSEK Malindo) meeting.

He said the discussion is scheduled to be held in the next few months and will cover a number of matters, including environmental issues involving Malaysia and Indonesia.

As of 1pm this afternoon, the Malaysian Air Pollution Index Management System (APIMS) website reported that two areas in Sarawak recorded Air Pollution Index (API) readings at unhealthy levels.