Indonesia has been urged to take fire prevention measures

KUCHING, 5 Oct: Indonesia urged to take stronger measures to prevent arson activity in Borneo that could potentially contribute to dust events in Sarawak.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industries and Performing Arts of Sarawak, Datuk Snowdan Lawan said that Borneo is a shared area by Indonesia's Borneo, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak, so the issue of cross-border pollution needs to be addressed together.

According to him, the Indonesian authorities should identify the individual or parties who carried out the open fire and take legal action, rather than blame the wind factor.

"Don't blame the wind. Instead, identify those who committed the arson, find them and take them to court", he said.

He said this during his speech at the inaugural meeting of the Workshop on Community Care Libat on Establishment of Community Conservation Area (CCA) in Ulu Sebuyau National Park, Sedilu and Mount Lesong area in Kuching today.

Snowdan explained that the dust conditions affecting Sarawak have not yet recovered and could affect the health of people with asthma.

In fact, he said large-scale forest fires also pose serious threats to wildlife including the risk of death and habitat loss.

He also expressed concern about the fate of the orangutan population following a major fire in Kalimantan.

"I am saddened to see a huge fire in Borneo that has caused many people to die or disappear from the fires.

"These conditions could cause the population of oranges to continue to decline and conservation efforts need to be strengthened", he said.

In the meantime, Snowdan said Sarawak is endowed with a very valuable natural wealth and biodiversity including Ulu Sebuyau, Sedilu and Mount Lesong which are important habitats for Borneo orangutans as well as various other wildlife species.

He said that the efforts to protect these natural treasures are not solely the responsibility of an agency, but require cooperation from all sides.

"So the responsibility to protect this treasure is not just an agency's responsibility, it's our shared responsibility", he explained.

He said, the CCA approach is crucial in ensuring that conservation efforts can be implemented more comprehensively by involving local communities.

According to him, conservation is not only the responsibility of government or Sarawak Forestry Corporation but also requires active involvement and a sense of community responsibility in the area.