Indon Forestry Minister's Statement Needs Psychiatric Assessment.
For the moment the Indonesian minister's statement requires assessment. If need be I think even he should be investigated for talking incoherently and being out of touch with reality. Below is his strange declaration on the haze enveloping our nation.
Indonesia says it's winning battle against haze-producing forest fires: Indonesia said it was winning the battle against haze-producing fires that shrouded skies in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban said thousands of land-clearing fires illegally started by farmers or agricultural companies on Borneo and Sumatra islands have been doused in the last three days. But smoke from the blazes will continue to linger until heavy winds or rain - not expected for another three weeks - help clear the air. Singapore is also affected by the haze.
"We admit we haven't been able to resolve the problem completely,'' Kaban told reporters in the Indonesian capital. "But we have managed to cut the number of hotspots from 6,000 to 600 in the last three days by using water bombs and soliciting the help of residents, soldiers and forestry officials on the ground. We have made progress.''
**** This is how the government there has been hoodwinking its people into believing that things actually get done! He we are suffering and gasping for air and this politician with a hazy mind claims that they are winning the battle without lifting a finger. He conveniently left out the info that Indonesia is the only country among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that hasn't ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which the grouping approved in 2002.
Ironically while this suspected nutcase was talking nonsense the more serious Jakarta Post painted a totally different picture. Among the statements reported in that paper:
1) Indonesia's State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witular warned that the haze blanketing parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Malaysia and Singapore could have a serious impact on the economy, public health and the environment. He said recent tests by his office found particulate matter had reached far above 300 parts per million (ppm). Levels of between 51 and 100 ppm are considered tolerable.
2) In Indonesia, hundreds of passengers were stranded at Sultan Taha Syaifuddin airport in Jambi on Monday after flights were canceled because the haze reduced visibility to between 50 and 500 meters.
3) Several boats collided in the province's Batanghari River and at least one crew member was declared missing, as boat crews reported visibility of only 10 meters.
4) Winds influenced by typhoons in the Philippines have led the smog southward to Palembang.
5) authorities in Batam in Riau Islands province said they were preparing 60,000 masks in anticipation of the haze reaching the island, a 40-minute ferry ride from Singapore.
So it seems like we have to look to their newspapers rather than the leadership for accurate information and details on among other things this haze that the Indons are 'waging' a winning battle.
Indonesia says it's winning battle against haze-producing forest fires: Indonesia said it was winning the battle against haze-producing fires that shrouded skies in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore.
Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban said thousands of land-clearing fires illegally started by farmers or agricultural companies on Borneo and Sumatra islands have been doused in the last three days. But smoke from the blazes will continue to linger until heavy winds or rain - not expected for another three weeks - help clear the air. Singapore is also affected by the haze.
"We admit we haven't been able to resolve the problem completely,'' Kaban told reporters in the Indonesian capital. "But we have managed to cut the number of hotspots from 6,000 to 600 in the last three days by using water bombs and soliciting the help of residents, soldiers and forestry officials on the ground. We have made progress.''
**** This is how the government there has been hoodwinking its people into believing that things actually get done! He we are suffering and gasping for air and this politician with a hazy mind claims that they are winning the battle without lifting a finger. He conveniently left out the info that Indonesia is the only country among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that hasn't ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which the grouping approved in 2002.
Ironically while this suspected nutcase was talking nonsense the more serious Jakarta Post painted a totally different picture. Among the statements reported in that paper:
1) Indonesia's State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witular warned that the haze blanketing parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Malaysia and Singapore could have a serious impact on the economy, public health and the environment. He said recent tests by his office found particulate matter had reached far above 300 parts per million (ppm). Levels of between 51 and 100 ppm are considered tolerable.
2) In Indonesia, hundreds of passengers were stranded at Sultan Taha Syaifuddin airport in Jambi on Monday after flights were canceled because the haze reduced visibility to between 50 and 500 meters.
3) Several boats collided in the province's Batanghari River and at least one crew member was declared missing, as boat crews reported visibility of only 10 meters.
4) Winds influenced by typhoons in the Philippines have led the smog southward to Palembang.
5) authorities in Batam in Riau Islands province said they were preparing 60,000 masks in anticipation of the haze reaching the island, a 40-minute ferry ride from Singapore.
So it seems like we have to look to their newspapers rather than the leadership for accurate information and details on among other things this haze that the Indons are 'waging' a winning battle.
posted by The Malaysian. at 10/10/2006 05:37:00 PM
1 Comments:
Dear Malaysian,
You are quite correct on one account. I saw the smog issue being covered by the Java Post newspaper, on the front page no less, showing Putrajaya covered in smoke. Whereas the vernacular newspapers did not even a passing mention of it. It seems the adik-adiks working at Utusan Bacul and Dayus Harian truly fear the abang-abangs in Indonesia! Wow, size does really matter!
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