Oh (centre) puts a face mask on toddler Nur Amarah Yahya at Pasar Awam Bayan Baru, George Town. — Bernama photo
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Gerakan yesterday urged the Asean Members States to strictly enforce the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) to tackle the haze crisis that has hit the region.
Penang Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said the current haze situation that hit the country since last month is the worst compared to previous years.
“The current haze affected not only the people’s health, but also incurred additional unnecessary costs such as increase of medical cases, closure of schools and airports.
“These are unnecessary overheads which affect the people financially,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said according to a press release from the Asean secretariat on January 20, 2015, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Indonesia had deposited Indonesia’s Instrument of Ratification on AATHP.
“This means all the Asean members states have ratified the AATHP to improve the efficiency and cooperation among AMS in handling transboundary haze pollution,” he said.
However, Oh said the federal government must gazette and implement the transboundary haze pollution bill to tackle the crisis.
He said this will allow Malaysia to take action against those involved in forest fires that caused the haze in many Asean countries.
He also urged all AMS to accelerate the effort in resolving the transboundary haze pollution by efficiently implementing the AATHP.
Earlier, Oh distributed 6,000 face masks to patrons at the Bayan Baru Market in the event organised by Gerakan Youth Bayan Baru Division. — Bernama