Kuching: The Sarawak Government must demonstrate that its greater environmental autonomy comes with the responsibility and ability to protect the environment and public health, said ADUN for Pending, Violet Yong.
Yong questioned the purpose of greater environmental autonomy if the State Government could not effectively use its authority to safeguard Sarawakians from worsening air pollution.
“There is no point in proudly talking about greater autonomy and taking back powers over environmental matters from the Federal Government if the State Government cannot ensure that Sarawakians can enjoy clean and healthy air.
“Environmental autonomy should come with responsibility, action and accountability,” she said in a statement.
Yong said the worsening haze situation, with air quality in several parts of Sarawak, including Kuching, reaching unhealthy levels, should no longer be treated as a routine seasonal problem.
“The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB), which is under the Sarawak Government, should go beyond merely monitoring the Air Pollutant Index (API) and issuing updates.
“It is not enough for the authorities and State GPS Ministers to simply ask people to stay indoors, reduce outdoor activities and wear masks. More needs to be done,” she said.
She added that Sarawakians deserved to know what concrete measures the State Government was taking to reduce pollution and protect public health.
“While public health advisories are important, telling people how to cope with haze is not the same as taking action to address the haze itself.
“The Government should intensify enforcement against open burning, strengthen hotspot monitoring, identify the sources of pollution and provide timely and transparent information to the public. Cloud seeding should also be considered, where weather conditions are suitable, to provide temporary relief from the haze,” she said.
Responding to remarks that the haze could be largely beyond Sarawak’s control or caused by transboundary pollution, she said this should not become an excuse for inaction.
“Even if Sarawak cannot control where the smoke originates, the State Government can control how seriously it responds to the crisis.
“If the source is transboundary, the Sarawak Government should work closely with the Federal Government and Indonesian authorities to push for stronger action against those responsible. At the same time, local sources of pollution should not be overlooked,” she said.
At the same time, Yong said if the Government says the API readings are still within a certain range, that does not mean the public should simply accept the haze as normal.
“The responsibility of the Government is not merely to report the numbers, but to take preventive and protective action whenever air quality deteriorates.
“The Sarawak Government is urged to address the worsening haze situation with far greater urgency and seriousness,” she said.
