Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has called on Indonesia to take action against any companies proven to be responsible for forest fires, regardless of their nationality, saying that protecting the environment should come before national loyalties.
In a video posted on his Instagram, he stressed that people in Malaysia and Indonesia were breathing the same polluted air and should not be treated differently based on their nationality.
“This is not a war between Malaysia and Indonesia. Our flags may be different, but when we struggle to breathe, we face the same problem.
“If Malaysian companies are at fault, or if Singaporean companies are at fault, then they should be punished if proven guilty. I will not protect polluters, even if they come from my own country,” he said in his video.
According to Harian Metro, Syed Saddiq was responding to former Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi who has criticised his call for ASEAN to boycott Indonesia over the recurring issue of transboundary haze.
Lutifi then posted a statement on his Instagram, saying that it was unfair to target Indonesia as a whole over the haze, arguing that the parties responsible for forest and land fires should instead be identified and held accountable.
Responding to that in his video, Syed Saddiq said that authorities should focus on evidence and take action against any company proven to have burned forests for profit.
“Do not choose based on the flag. Whether it is a Malaysian, Indonesian or Singaporean company, if it is proven that they burned forests for quick profits, take action.
“Flags are not a licence to destroy the environment. They operate in Indonesia under Indonesian law. The power is in your hands,” he said.
Syed Saddiq also said he was pushing for action against Malaysian companies allegedly involved in the matter through his own parliament.
Syed Saddiq also urged that his full speech be watched to avoid losing the context of his remarks, saying, “Do not cut a speech until the truth itself gets cut off.”
Addressing the SD Guthrie claims, Syed Saddiq said there was no evidence linking the company to the start of the fires. He explained that it had 67 teams comprising more than 1,000 trained personnel, as well as drones and infrared equipment to tackle the issue, at a cost of more than RM800,000 a month.
He also said Greenpeace’s report should not be selectively quoted, claiming it recorded 19 fire hotspots within Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd’s (KLK) concessions, compared with 6,811 elsewhere.
“Do you want us to focus only on a contributor accounting for 0.7% while ignoring the other 99.7%? Do not speak loudly against one company only to remain silent about the others.
“Ultimately, this is not Malaysia versus Indonesia. It is people who want clean air standing against those who pollute it.
“Forests are burned for profit. The money goes into company accounts, while the smoke goes into the lungs of ordinary people,” he added.
He also claimed that Malaysia had offered aircraft, helicopters and water-bombing aircraft to assist Indonesia, but had received no response from the Indonesian government.
He stressed that those who are responsible for forest fires should not be defended simply because they share the same national flag, adding that public health and environmental protection should come before national loyalty.
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