Haze: Penang MCA Wants Indonesia To Compensate Malaysia

GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), Oct 5 (Bernama) -- Penang MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association, a political party in Malaysia) has called on the government to ask the Indonesian government to compensate Malaysia for the losses incurred in tackling the haze issue. Its chairman, Chew Mei Fun, said this was because Malaysia had been suffering the choking haze each year, which was caused by forest fires in Indonesia. "It is ridiculous for them not to solve this problem. I think we should ask them to compensate...Children can't go to school and yet you don't have time for them to replace. "At the same time, nobody will come to visit Malaysia. Our hawkers' businesses have also dropped by 30 per cent. I think medical expenses for most people have also gone up (due to haze)," she told reporters at the Mid-Autumn Gathering here Sunday night. Chew, who is also Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister, also advised parents, as well as nursery and kindergarten operators, to limit children's outdoor activities. -- BERNAMA