Don’t hate Indonesians for the haze
By KRISHNA PANNA PRADITYA
Indonesia was also affected by the haze.
As an Indonesian, I am aware that the hazardous man-made distress did not only harm my country, but Malaysia and Singapore as well.
The situation has strained the relationship between our nations, with the Malaysian government recently filing a complaint against the Indonesian government.
I feel sorry and grateful toward Malaysia.
Even though Malaysia was badly affected by the forest fires in Indonesia, the Malaysian government still offered to help my country – they sent their firefighters to Indonesian hotspots and helped us create artificial rain.
But certain crucial facts need to be considered. Certain fully owned and joint venture Malaysian companies have also been involved.
I’m not blaming Malaysians for the fire. However, I would like to remind the country’s citizens that some of their own countrymen have played a major role in this fiasco. The Malaysian government can help us all by punishing them for being the catalysts.
But these companies shouldn’t be the only ones shouldering the blame.
The Indonesian Forestry Department must also be held accountable. They should be responsible, and enact sturdier laws and enforce stricter regulations to prevent Malaysian companies from burning our forests.
In addition, the Indonesian government has to solve problems involving land allocation and usage, so that forest fires are prevented. This will also help stabilize the country’s economic and political situation.
I hope that Malaysians don’t just hate us because of the haze.
Indonesia is trying its best to solve this problem. However, with the country’s current economic and political condition, we will need all the help we can get.
Once again, I’m grateful for all the aid that has been given to us by Malaysia and other countries. I hope that my Southeast Asian brothers and sisters will understand the hardship that my country is going through.
—
KRISHNA PANNA PRADITYA is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Born in Jakarta, Krishna Panna is currently majoring in management and entrepreneurship at the University of Tasmania, Australia. He did his pre-university education in Malaysia.
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