PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will demand effective action from Indonesia to tackle fires causing transboundary haze when it raises the issue at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila early next month.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said Malaysia respected its bilateral ties with Indonesia but had the right to demand measures to protect Malaysians' health and well-being.
"We respect our good relations with Indonesia, but we also have the right to demand effective action when transboundary pollution affects our people.
"Malaysia is ready to help. We hope Indonesia will step up efforts to put out fires at their source and take firm action against those responsible," he said at a media engagement on the haze situation here today.
