REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU - The Malaysian government will not provide assistance to Malaysian companies that violate Indonesian regulations, including setting fires on lands to expand plantations. Hence, Malaysia does not need to offer apology to Indonesian government for the fire.
"We will not interfere with the companies violating regulations," Malaysian consul here Azizah bin Ismail informed reporters on Tuesday.
She stated that the Indonesian government should enforce its laws without the need to involve the Malaysian government if the companies violated regulations. Regarding to PT Adei Plantation case, which is now in court over a land fire case in Riau, Azizah added that her side was monitoring the case.
"Malaysian firms are always called on to obey the regulations of countries where they are operating, including in the Riau Province," she noted.
Earlier activists from the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) and the Riau Forest Protector Network staged a rally in front of the Malaysian consulate in Pekanbaru. They carried banners reading, among others, Fighting Malaysian Haze. But Malaysian consul reiterated that the matter had no relations with the Malaysian government because the company was a private firm, not a Malaysian government-owned one.
"So, Malaysia has no need to offer an apology to the Indonesian government," she clarified.
In the meantime, Pekanbaru and surrounding areas have been affected by haze over the past week. But, the visibility on Tuesday morning was the worst as it was reduced to below 500 meters between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. local time.
The Terra and Aqua Satellite detected 297 hotspots of forest fires on Sumatra Island on Tuesday morning, a significant increase from 62 hotspots detected on the previous day.
Indonesia is hit by forest fires almost every year. Some of the fires have been set deliberately by irresponsible plantation companies hoping to clear the land for plantations or farming activities. This is against the existing laws in Indonesia.
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