Haze situation: 'I think we should sue Indonesia' - KJ

SHAH ALAM - The government needs to take legal action against Indonesia over the transboundary haze allegedly triggered by forest fires in the country.

Former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said strict action must be taken in line with the international law which prohibited all activities that were harmful to other countries.

"I think we should sue them (Indonesia) because if we follow the international law, it is either based on practice or on an 'explicit' treaty.

"It means that in our efforts to develop the country, we must not harm other countries, that is indeed in international law. There must be a penalty on the issue.

"Yes, even though we have the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, there is no penalty for countries that do not follow this agreement," he said.

Khairy said this during the Keluar Sekejap Podcast programme with former Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan, today.

Earlier, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia has sent a letter to Indonesia with regard to cooperation under the agreement.

He said the letter was sent following instructions from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday to coordinate with his counterparts in Asean to resolve the transboundary haze issue.

Commenting further, Khairy said a more assertive approach including through diplomatic methods needed to be shown by government leaders including the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.

"We can't follow the 'Asean way', because that's the way we are suffocating in Malaysia due to the fires that happened in Indonesia.

"And if there are Malaysian companies in Indonesia that are accused of setting the fires, please take action against them.

"Don't force us to take 'state-to-state action'. I think that action is difficult if we want to take this to the International Court of Justice," he said.