KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak urged local and foreign scientists gathered at a two-day meeting here to look for solutions to the haze problem which has plagued the country for the past 18 years.
"We have suffered enough from the haze problem for the past 18 years and I hope (the) science advisors can discuss this," Najib told attendees at the 3rd APEC Economics' Chief Science Advisors and Equivalents meet.
"Please advise the countries concerned on how you can cope with this, (as well as how to) prevent the slash and burn techniques (used) to clear land for agriculture," he said.
Najib also requested the science advisors to come up with ways to prevent peat soil fire, whether deliberate or due to climate change.
He said he was ‘very interested’ to know the findings and to raise the matter at the coming Asean Summit and APEC meeting.
Earlier in his speech, Najib said science diplomacy between countries was crucial to face 21st century challenges such as climate change, food and water security, energy, poverty alleviation and health.
Najib said Malaysia had a proud history of science diplomacy.
He said at the UN General Assembly in the 1980s, for example, Malaysia made a determined call for Antarctica to be declared a “common heritage of mankind” under the jurisdiction of the UN.
Najib also stressed that Malaysia was at the forefront of articulating the need for a balance between the environment and development.
Malaysia’s green coverage is about 70% , while about 55.35% of its landmass is forested - a strong signal to the world that Malaysia walks the talk, when it comes to environmental conservation and sustainable development, he said.