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Malaysians Unclear if Significant Steps Will Be Taken to Prevent Toxic Haze
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ຄວັນ​ພິດ​ປົກ​ຄຸມ​ມາ​ເລ​ເຊຍ

ຝົນ​ຕົກ​ໄດ້​ຊ່ວຍ​ບັນ​ເທົາ​ຄວັນ​ຈາກ​ໄຟ​ໄໝ້​ປ່າ ທີ່​ປົກ​ຄຸມ​ສ່ວນ​ໃຫຍ່​ຂອງ​ປະ​ເທດ​ມາ​ເລ​ເຊຍ ແລະ​ສິງ​ກະ​ໂປ.

ຄວັນ​ພິດ​ດັ່ງ​ກ່າວ​ໄດ້​ລົບ​ກວນ​ຊີ​ວິດ​ການ​ເປັນ​ຢູ່​ຂອງ​ປະ​ຊາ​ຊົນ​ຫຼາຍໆ​ລ້ານ​ຄົນ​ຢູ່ໃນ​ປະ​ເທດ​ທັງ​ສອງ.

ການ​ໃສ່​ໜ້າ​ກາກ​ແມ່ນ​ເປັນ​ເລື້ອງ​ທີ່​ເຫັນ​ກັນ​ໂດຍ​ທົ່ວ​ໄປ ໃນ​ຂະ​ນະ​ທີ່​ຜູ້​ຄົນ​ພະຍາ​ຍາມ​ຫາ​ທາງ​ປ້ອງ​ກັນ​ເຂົາ​ເຈົ້າ. ໂຮງ​ຮຽນ​ຢູ່​ປະ​ເທດ​ມາ​ເລ​ເຊຍ​ຫຼາຍໆ​ບ່ອນໄດ້​ພາ​ກັນ​ອັດ​ເປັນ​ເວ​ລາ​ຫຼາຍໆ​ມື້ ກ່ອນ​ທີ່​ສະ​ພາບ​ອາ​ກາດ​ຈະ​ເປັນ​ອັນ​ຕະ​ລາຍຫຼາຍກວ່ານີ້.

​ຄວັນ​ສ່ວນ​ໃຫຍ່​ແມ່ນ​ມາ​ຈາກ​ປະ​ເທດ​ອິນ​ໂດ​ເນ​ເຊຍ ບ່ອນ​ທີ່​ມີ​ການ​ຈູດ​ໄຮ່​ເຜົ່າ​ປ່າ​ສຳ​ລັບ​ການ​ປູກ​ຕົ້ນ​ພາມ​ເຮັດ​ນ້ຳ​ມັນ ຕະ​ຫຼອດ​ທັງ​ການ​ປູກຕົ້ນ​ໄມ້​ເຮັດ​ເຈັ້ຍ ແລະປູກໝາກ​ເພັດ. ບ່ອນ​ປູກ​ຝັງ​ບາງ​ແຫ່ງ​ແມ່ນ​ບໍ​ລິ​ສັດມາ​ເລ​ເຊຍ​ເປັນ​ເຈົ້າ​ຂອງ.

ສະ​ມາ​ຄົມ​ບັນ​ດາ​ປະ​ຊາ​ຊາດ​ໃນ​ເຂດ​ເອ​ເຊຍ​ຕາ​ເວັນ​ອອກ​ສຽງ​ໃຕ້​ ຫຼື​ອາ​ຊຽນ ໄດ້​ຕົກ​ລົງ​ກັນ​ກ່ຽວ​ກັບ​ເລື້ອງ​ຄວັນ​ພ​ິດ ເພື່ອ​ຮັບ​ມື​ກັບ​ບັນ​ຫານີ້ ແຕ່​ກໍ​ເບິ່ງ​ຄື​ວ່າ ມາ​ຈົນ​ຮອດ​ປັດ​ຈຸ​ບັນ ກໍ​ບໍ່​ໄດ້​ດຳ​ເນີນ​ການ​ຫຍັງ​ຫຼາຍ.

ທ່ານ​ນິ​ທິ ນາ​ຊາ​ດູ​ຣາຍ ປະ​ທານ​ສະ​ມາ​ຄົມ​ປົກ​ປ້ອງ​ສິ່ງ​ແວດ​ລ້ອມ​ຂອງ​ມາ​ເລ​ເຊຍ ຊຶ່ງ​ເປັນ​ອົງ​ການ​ຈັດ​ຕັ້ງ​ທີ່​ບໍ່​ຂຶ້​ນ​ກັບ​ລັດ​ຖະ​ບານ ກ່າວ​ວ່າ "ຂໍ້​ຕົກ​ລົງ​ວ່າ​ດ້ວຍ​ຄວັນ​ພິດ​ຂ້າມ​ຊາຍ​ແດນ​ຂອງ​ອາ​ຊຽນ ສ່ວນ​ໃຫຍ່​ແລ້ວ​ແມ່ນ​ກໍ​ລະ​ນີ ຄື​ກັນ​ກັບ​ເສື້ອ​ເຈ້ຍ. ມັນ​ເປັນ​ເລື້ອງ​ທີ່​ຢູ່​ໃນ​ເຈ້ຍ​ ແຕ່​ໂຕ​ຈິງ​ແລ້ວ ບໍ່​ມີ​ຜົນ​ຫຍັງ​ຫຼາຍ."

Seasonal rains have brought relief from the haze that blanketed much of Malaysia and Singapore.

The toxic air disrupted life for tens of millions of people.

Face masks were in common usage as people tried to protect themselves. Many Malaysian schools closed for days because the air was so hazardous.

Much of the smog stemmed from Indonesia, where fires were set to clear land for palm oil plantations, as well as pulp and paper. Some of the plantations are owned by Malaysian companies.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a haze agreement to try to combat the issue, but it seems to have done little so far.

“The ASEAN trans-boundary haze agreement has largely been a case of being like a paper tiger,” said Nithi Nesadurai, president of the Environmental Protection Society Malaysia, a nongovernment organization. “It’s something there on paper, but really has very little effect.”

The haze happens almost every year, although health advocates say the pollution was worse this year compared with any since 2015. Local doctors reported a surge in illnesses.

Dr. Jessreen Kaur of Kuala Lumpur says she prescribed antibiotics and antihistamines to many patients.

“There are a lot of upper respiratory tract infections coming from the haze.” Kaur said. “More people are getting infected tonsils, infections of the pharynx and also lung infections.”

ASEAN ministers have talked about closer cooperation on the issue. In Malaysia, discussions are underway about drafting a law that would punish Malaysian companies that start fires in a foreign country.

“It enables the Malaysian government to take action against a Malaysian company which is causing pollution on foreign soil,” Nesadurai said. “This will be a means of deterrence, especially if one of them gets punished.”

Nesadurai adds that more needs to happen at the grassroots level. Environmental groups like his are calling for federal and local governments, as well as the companies that own the plantations, to partner with local communities to try to prevent the fires from happening in the first place.

“The most effective action can take place if the stakeholders work together,” Nesadurai said.

The Global Environment Center, a nongovernment organization, has worked in several communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. It connects with plantation owners and people who live near the plantations. It teaches techniques to help prevent fires and also provides firefighting equipment, as well as training, to help locals contain a land fire until professional firefighters arrive.

“This community approach makes a difference,” said Adelaine Tan, coordinator of outreach and partnership programs, at the Global Environment Center. “But we have a limited budget, so we can’t reach everywhere it’s needed.”

Malaysians can breathe easier for now, but concerns linger that this problem could ignite again next year.

“Something needs to be done,” said Manisa McCalman of Kuala Lumpur. “Whenever we have this problem, you don’t want to even go outside.”

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