The Haze

View from our condo this morning

The haze we've been experiencing over the last week is not the most auspicious start to the family blog, but I guess some things are more motivating than others. When things are going fine it is enough to just enjoy, but when you come across events that bother you, one must take some form of action. Either way - the haze is a good enough reason to get started on this blog.

The smoke that has come to pervade KL originates in Sumatra and is carried over the Straights of Melaka by the prevailing winds. Apparently various forestry companies are burning to clear areas for new crops and the farmers are burning to prepare their lands for the planting season. Either way the fires escape their original boundaries and massive wild fires ensue.

These hazy dayz started a week ago and we have had quite a moderate time of it here in KL. Singapore is doing terribly and so is southern Malaysia in Johor. In these places the API index is consistently above 300 - or "Hazardous." News outlets are showing people in masks (which don't do anything), filthy air where you can barely see anything, and advising people to stay indoors (which can't do much). 

Here in KL the API index was previously below 100 or "moderate", but today it is somewhere slightly above, or "unhealthy." I woke up smelling the smoke and going to the window to see the visibility, which is a pathetic 400 meters or so. I think the government sensors are on the optimistic side.

A constant conversation around here is what can be done about the situation. The Malaysian and Singaporean governments have sent representatives to Jakarta to pressure the government. However, the government there tries to fob off their responsibility by saying it is Malaysian and Singaporean companies that are doing the burning. Even my Indonesian friends blame these companies like Sime Darby, and say that the Malaysian and Singaporean governments are reluctant to put pressure on these companies - which sounds a bout right for sure. The point is, however, it is not the responsibilities of these countries, but Indonesia's responsibility as the host country wherein these companies operate. Indonesia must make burning activities illegal and must actively enforce the legislation. But why should they? The smoke blows away anyways, so why bother?! And this is where Malaysia and Singapore have to step up. They need to provide financial backing to help police and prosecute those who continue to break the law. 

There is apathy on all sides of this triangular equation as the political and business elites tend to place their needs above those of the larger populace (and of course this is human nature, not a localized phenomenon). Citizens and residents of these countries need to mobilize to motivate government to act on their behalf, but then this brings up another important question - why are Malaysian's so anti-conflict? The seeds of something more appear to have taken root after the last election, but these are questions for another posting. Any insight is most welcome - we are dying here.