JULY 11 — The annual ritual of “guessing when the haze will come and go, or come again” over the middle months is not as annoying as realising decades later that Malaysians are still nowhere close to seeing the end of these smog-filled days.

[Each year since the mid-90s during the dry spell in Indonesia, smallholders apparently start fires to clear forested areas for new plantation acreage. They are phenomenally cheaper than doing it environmentally-friendly. A debate rages on whether the smallholders, the larger plantations owned largely by foreign companies, government officials or politicians are responsible most for the fires. Life all over Malaysia and Singapore gets dimmer and duller during these bouts, and breathing a chore. This is the haze.]

An itch it appears we are unlikely to scratch until all the peat-land in Sumatra is sorted for oil palm plantations or the anti-palm oil lobby manages to prove that 18 types of terminal diseases not excluding syphilis are attributed to the consumption of its enemy’s products. The former is likelier, and therefore these teary-eyed vigils will continue in the foreseeable future.

The stakes may be higher this year though.

It’s the fasting month and the Kuala Besut by-election coincides with it, opening the floodgates for all kinds of loopy loony behaviour. Pissed-off voters from the west coast dust-carpeted cities driving home to Terengganu to cast ballots may turn their ire on the Barisan Nasional (BN). That is why I conclude more haze in July might lead to loopy loony behaviour.

Never underestimate the ability of the BN backbencher on the defensive to blame someone or something extremely left field for the fiasco. After all, the haze migrates mightily from the Indonesian archipelago and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim does travel there occasionally and is well regarded over there. Watch out for this space, then.

Across the Straits of Malacca, the haze even managed to split opinions and personalities in the republic, with Indonesian Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya accusing eight Malaysian plantation companies of complicity via their local set-ups and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono apologising to both us and Singapore.

Some might have expected the Christian Balthasar to be more charitable in his assessment of the situation but the Papuan has not held back promising more disclosures involving Malaysian firms, he appears more like the exacting lawyer — well cross-dressing lawyer — sharing his namesake in The Merchant of Venice.

We can lead change

Regardless of the next Indonesian move, Malaysia might want to take the lead of things in which it controls.

The Malaysian companies have consistently denied knowledge or participation in the fires for years. Since they have thousands of employees and stockholders back home, we’d have to conclude they would not wilfully compromise the lives of these people. It would be cruel even to fathom that.

Plus, it is not like the senior execs of these companies can just send their families away on short trips when the haze shows up, and leave the rest of Malaysia — including lower rung employees — to suck in the truths of globalisation?

For they are the Malaysians closest to the heat, and since there is no contention there are these bonfires, they have the imperative to act. Since some of the burning encroaches into their land or were started there, there are legal grounds for them to act too.

The plantation companies are entitled to deny any wrongdoings but they cannot just stop there if they value moral propriety.

Therefore while the Malaysian firms like Sime Darby are pledged to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), presenting satellite images and maps indicating their non-complicity, the nature of the harm emanating from those areas to their home country must persuade them to be active in seeking answers for millions of their countrymen.

They can, for instance, pledge to actively involve themselves rather than just refute the charge; after all Sime Darby’s slogan is developing sustainable futures — they might want to try to make the present tolerable too.

Solutions

All parties including the plantation companies agree that the cost of clearing coupled with a lack of education have resulted in the “smallholders” using the slash and burn method. They are also encouraged by the fact they can get away with it because there are fewer eyes in the jungle.

A combination of sharing costs with the smallholders and long term credit from financial institutions can lead to safer forest clearing and saving peat-land. If plantation companies helped local authorities to become additional eyes on site then policing will improve and the risk of being caught grows exponentially.

If the haze can be terrible at home, imagine the situation where the fires are raging? None of these smallholders want their families to be living amidst the flames and smoke. Getting the economics right might be a window to reduce their fires demonstrably.

Engagement is the forte of civil society groups and if they are provided access and support by the firms, they can get to the sites and deal with the communities.

Probably environmentalists are cynical and suggest with reason that the firms are not altogether upset that the flames grow and flames rise. As pointed out, even if the fires begin outside their land the flames engulfing their forested areas does profit them economically even if a region pays for the environmental degradation.

Allowing access, proving support and being transparent may be the firm’s path to win over the perception battle. They may have escaped legal penalty, but public perception will drive what is the truth debate.

Except if

Of course all of the above is incumbent on two things, it is verifiable that the Malaysian firms have nothing to do with the fires throughout the years and second, them caring for the Malaysian people long suffering for the sins of their neighbours.

Let’s assume the second to be true because the largest companies in Malaysia building their fortunes on the country’s wealth would naturally care for Malaysia and its people.

For the first, you’ll be your own judge. The actions of the companies should tell you enough. Now and in the near future.

But anyways, returning to our game, when do you think the haze is coming back? I’m thinking July 20, the anniversary of the moon landing. I’m told you can see the haze blanketing our region from space.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.