Malaysians told to pray for rain (What the...)

I read this from the BBC News which I think is funny and feel ashamed.

“Malaysia's Muslim community has been asked to pray for rain to lift the smog that has enveloped the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and surrounding areas. The request came from the country's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a day after he declared an emergency in two areas worst affected by the haze.”

Is there any non Malaysian who is reading my blog here? Please tell me what you would feel if your country’s leader made that speech, ok? I am just curious to know…

Indonesia’s failure to prevent slash and burn of its own forests causing serious damage to the health and the economy of the Malaysians. This ‘gift’ from our special neighbour is not something new, in fact it happens annually, just that the haze this year is the worst after 1997 and 1998.

Ok so what we have done so far? On Thursday, ministers from both countries agreed a three-point plan under which Malaysia will help to put out thousands of fires sweeping across Sumatra. Today, Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister and Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister are having further talks with the Indonesians in Medan. (Why not the Indonesians come to KL to have talks with us? So they can see and smell for themselves the damage they have done to our country.)

I am just wondering if the haze is not from Indonesia, but our neighbours from the north or south, will the Malaysian government act so gentle? I still remember when the Thailand armed forces stormed the mosque and killed the Islamic terrorists in their own country about 1-2 years ago, Malaysia had big response. I think our country was not even in the state of emergency that time. Why today, I only see demonstration done by opposition party, why only opposition party demand compensation from Indonesia? Is it because of the haze that’s why I can’t see others.

Indonesians burn their forests at our expense every year. They damage our health and cause billions of loss to our economy every year. I don’t think Malaysian government and ASEAN can solve this problem. Talks have been proven useless, no word on when to stop farmers from island slashing and forest burning by the Indonesian government.

If pray can help, then I think Mr. Abdullah shouldn’t pray for rain as this cannot solve the problem, the haze will come back again next year. He should pray for the haze to hit Singapore, I mean very badly. Then I think a solution to the problem will be found, and the haze will not come again next year. What do you think?

Choy