KUALA LUMPUR – A committee will be established to study issues related to transboundary haze pollution, including the drafting of the Transboundary Haze Act (THA).
The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) said that the committee will be made up of ministry departments, experts, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and advisory and consultation panel members.
It said that a workshop will also be held to study all available ideas in depth, and it is expected to be held after the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28).
“NRECC once again stresses that the ministry does not close the door to the proposed drafting of the bill as a mechanism to deal with the transboundary haze issues,” it said in a statement last night.
It also said that the ministry is currently in the phase of collecting feedback from government agencies, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and NGOs to get views from various angles, including short- and long-term measures in dealing with transboundary haze issues.
“Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has consistently stated that the enactment of the Transboundary Haze Act needs to be thoroughly studied by taking into account all challenges and restrictions, especially the feasibility of this law based on the experience of countries that already have similar laws, including Singapore,” reads the statement.
It added that there is an example of the most successful legal instrument to date, which is the United States-Canada Air Quality Agreement, because both countries involved are able to accept it and there is a body to manage the agreement. – November 8, 2023