Malaysia must not breathe Indonesia’s governance failure - Academia - The Jakarta Post

Academia

Southeast Asia's skies aren't choking simply on bad weather; they’re choking on decades of Jakarta’s governance failure.

Haze from forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia blankets Papar district, in Sabah, Malaysia. (The Star/ANN/-)

For Malaysians in Sarawak and Sabah, the haze is far from an abstract environmental concern. It is the air filling their lungs, shuttered schools, stalled businesses, grounded flights and an unearned public-health crisis. Once again, Malaysia is choking on smoke drifting across the border from Indonesia.As of Sept. 1, Sarawak faces some of its most hazardous air quality in years, with six areas recording dangerous pollution levels. Kuching’s Air Pollutant Index (API) has surged past 400, while nearby Serian peaked at a staggering 475 on Aug. 31.

None of this is new, and that is precisely the problem.