Jokowi ashamed to face Malaysia & Singapore as haze continues to engulf the region

Indonesian President Joko Widodo feels ashamed of the haze and smog caused by fires in the republic nation.

Jokowi who is scheduled to visit Malaysia and Singapore this week said that he was embarrassed by the transboundary haze season which had soured relations between the neighbouring countries.

In a separate post on Instagram, Jokowi mentions of a four-step plan to combat the ongoing forest fires and the resulting haze which has clouded the region.

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Setiap kemarau datang, saya teringat kebakaran hutan dan lahan yang terjadi tahun 2015. Lahan yang terbakar di Kalimantan dan Sumatra kurang lebih 2,6 juta hektare dan menimbulkan kerugian sampai Rp221 triliun. Ini sebuah angka yang besar dan saya berharap tidak terjadi lagi. Seperti kemarin, di hadapan sejumlah kepala daerah, perangkat kepolisian serta TNI dari berbagai wilayah yang hadir di Rakornas Pengendalian Kebakaran Hutan dan Lahan, saya menyampaikan empat arahan. Pertama, prioritaskan pencegahan melalui patroli terpadu, deteksi dini, sehingga kondisi harian di lapangan selalu terpantau. Kedua, saya meminta jajaran pemerintahan terkait, khususnya Badan Restorasi Gambut, untuk menata pengelolaan ekosistem gambut secara berkelanjutan. Ketiga, kalau ada api, padamkan sesegera mungkin. Jangan biarkan api itu membesar. Keempat, penegakan hukum bagi pelaku pembakaran hutan dan lahan dilakukan tanpa kompromi.

A post shared by Joko Widodo (@jokowi) on Aug 6, 2019 at 6:46pm PDT

Step 1

Prioritizing the prevention of fires through integrated patrols and early detection, where monitoring of the situation will be conducted round the clock.

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The president mentions that the country must look towards the use of modern technology to detect fires and hotspots occurring across the region, even stating that he would pay for the equipment from his own pocket.

Step 2

The restoration, conservation and management of the natural peat swamp forests.

These areas are basically bogs made up of highly flammable decomposing plant material which are usually drained away to make room for farmland.

Mismanagement of these areas attribute greatly to the spread of wildfires in Indonesia.

Step 3

To detect and extinguish blazes as fast as possible. Hence preventing the fire from spreading and affecting other areas.

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The president even went as far as stating that he would sack personnel if they fail to extinguish the blaze.

Step 4

Increased enforcement against perpetrators of forest and land burnings would be carried out without compromise.

By law, Indonesian farmers are allowed to clear land by the ironic means of controlled burning, where areas are simply burned away to make room for farmland.

However, the lack of enforcement and ongoing illegal activities from unscrupulous individuals have resulted in the ongoing catastrophe that the republic nation faces today.

Reportedly, there have been some 900 different hotspots detected across 18 provinces in Indonesia.