Well, well, well, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, it sounds like you do want Singapore to send in some help to tackle the haze crisis after all.
Folks would remember the darndest things Kalla said about Singapore and Malaysia of course. “For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us. They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset,” Kalla remarked earlier in March, The Jakarta Globe reports.
Now however, the vice-president has changed his chiding tone to a pleading one, especially in the face of the haze crises at his doorstep. Indonesia is estimated to suffer $4 billion in losses this year in agriculture production, health, transportation, tourism and other economic undertakings.
In Riau as of September 4, there were 10,133 cases of respiratory infection, 311 of pneumonia, 415 of asthma, 689 of eye pains and 1,085 of skin pains, Mongabay reports.
“Singapore is ready to help. So, I think, please do… because Singapore also knows that a natural disaster can happen anywhere,” Kalla was quoted to say in a report by Liputan6.
“Singapore please come and tackle the haze because the effect is also felt by Singapore. We, not to mention Singapore, dislike (the haze). Everyone dislikes it and we have put in extra effort to tackle the fires,” he said.
But then again, Indonesia has repeatedly declined help by the Singapore government over the past week. So does the Indonesian government really want our help? Hell if anyone knows.
Photo: Reuters
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