POOLING RESOURCES: They have equipment, knowledge of fire-prone areas and can educate communities

KUALA LUMPUR: LARGE companies based near fire-prone areas in Indonesia may be called to help local communities   prevent   haze.

Global Environment Centre director Faizal Parish said while many companies had taken precautions against burning on their own land, smaller incidents of fire in other areas remained unchecked.

"Like it or not, these companies are part of this issue, even when they are not involved in starting fires.

"So, a proposal will be put forward to see if it is possible for them to pool their resources and help local governments act quickly in identifying the source of the fires and putting them out," he said at the 15th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Transboundary Haze Pollution here.

Faizal, who is a senior technical adviser to the Asean Peatland Forests Project (APFP), said the suggestion had received positive response from companies such as Sime Darby, which is one of five Malaysian companies under probe in connection with the latest haze incident.

Faizal said Indonesia's rural authorities often lacked resources, such as fire-fighting and aerial surveillance equipment, to stop fires before they spread.

"By the time the central government and international authorities step in, it is often too late.

"This is where the companies can help, not only because they have the equipment, but also because they are more familiar with these areas.

"They can also play other roles, like educating the smaller farming communities and local groups on other methods of clearing land, apart from burning."

Some 40 delegates from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand met yesterday to finalise a proposal to strengthen collaboration against haze.

The Indonesian authorities are investigating several firms based in Sumatra and Riau, including eight Malaysian companies, that are suspected of being responsible for the haze which shrouded parts of Malaysia and Singapore last month.

To date, one Malaysian firm, a subsidiary of Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Berhad, has been named a possible suspect. KLK has denied the charges.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that the delegates are expected to lay the groundwork and present the outcome of the discussion to their respective ministers at the 15th Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution today.

The meeting will be hosted by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

Read more: Firms may be roped in to help prevent haze - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/firms-may-be-roped-in-to-help-prevent-haze-1.320713#ixzz2ZNHHm8pp