C ONSULTATION (EGC) ON B

(1)

E

XPERT

G

ROUP

C

ONSULTATION

(EGC)

ON

B

IOETHICAL

P

ERSPECTIVE OF

H

AZE IN

M

ALAYSIA

UNESCO Jakarta Office

&

Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia

in collaboration with

Academy of Sciences Malaysia

&

University of Malaya

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

18 SEPTEMBER 2017

(2)

2

Introduction

The haze

has a devastating effect on human health. The haze particles increase the risk of cardiovascular and

respiratory diseases and cancer. Infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons suffering from chronic health

conditions are especially vulnerable.

It is a recurring problem

–

every few years

, concessionaires or farmers use fire

as the most cost-effective method to clear land in preparation for the new crop cycle and for clearing surrounding

forests

for further expansion of plantations. Every year, the haze disrupts lives, costs the region’s governments

billions of dollars, and leaves millions of people at risk. Moreover, peatlands are extremely carbon rich, hence

burning them allows carbon to escape into the atmosphere, raising Indonesia's contribution to climate change. In

2015, with the weather patterns caused by El-Nino compounding the problem, the human and economic costs

reached epic proportions. According to Greenpeace, around 110,000 deaths occur annually from pollution-related

illnesses stemming from the haze. In 2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declared a state of emergency

due to haze for districts of Muar and Ledang in Johor. The declaration was made following the haze situation,

particularly in the two districts, exceeding 500 on the Air Pollutants Index (API) which was an emergency level. The

air quality indicators have fluctuated between unhealthy and very unhealthy, depending on the wind conditions

during haze episodes. Residents in all three affected countries have been recommended to stay indoors and more

than 2,000 schools have closed across Indonesia and Malaysia, affecting 1.5 million students and their parents for

weeks.

To date,

Malaysian researchers under the auspices of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) have embarked on a

comprehensive project named HAZE (Help Action towards Zero Emission) to consolidate present knowledge and

understanding of haze in Malaysia. This project has focused on three main aspects of the haze issue; (i) air quality

and haze episodes; (ii) peat area and water management, and (iii) waste to resources.

However,

the report has yet to

address the bioethical dimension and understanding within its policy recommendations and outcomes. In addressing

the problem of transboundary haze, bioethics perspectives can be informative in developing novel directions

towards resolving this annual regional environmental challenge.

Objectives

As a research institute, IKIM aims to inform the public on issues that are of national importance, and certainly one of

the most pressing issues today is environmental issue and climate change. In the context of the haze issue in

Malaysia, IKIM is very pleased to work with UNESCO Jakarta, ASM and University of Malaya researchers in terms of

promoting religious and cultural values vis-a-vis environmental ethics in addressing the bioethical perspectives of

haze.

Among the objectives of the EGC:

1)

to gather experts in order to deliberate and incorporate the bioethical dimension for guiding policy making

on the eradication of haze to multiple actors involved in the issue;

2)

to deliberate on finance and trade considerations to understand better the sources of haze in Malaysia; and

3)

to explore the mobilization of ethical and sustainability science dimensions to create win-win solutions

between ecology, knowledge and innovation, and to create synergies between the economy and society.

Contact person:

Mr. Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, IKIM,

Mr. Mohd Noor Musa, IKIM,

Expert Group Consultation (EGC) on Bioethical Perspective of Haze in Malaysia

18 September 2017 (Monday)

IKIM Grand Hall, Kuala Lumpur

Time

Programme

8:30 – 9:00

Registration of participants & breakfast

9:00 – 9:15

Welcoming address

YBhg. Datuk Prof. Dr. Azizan Baharuddin,

Director-General, Institute of Islamic

Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) cum Member, International Bioethics Committee (IBC)

and Member, National Bioethics Council of Malaysia (MBEN)

9:15 – 9:30

Introductory remarks

YBrs. Mr. Irakli Khodeli,

Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences

UNESCO Jakarta

Session 1: International and Intragovernmental Initiatives in the Reduction and Management of

Haze in Malaysia

9:30 – 9:35

9:35 – 10:00

10:00 – 10:25

10:25 – 10.50

Moderator: YBrs. Dr. Helena Muhamad Varkkey,

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Art and

Social Sciences, University of Malaya (UM)

Panelist 1: Haze from the scientific perspective

Speaker: YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abu Bakar Jaafar,

Chairman, Academy of Science

Malaysia (ASM) HAZE Task Force

Panelist 2: Overview of government initiatives

Speaker: YBrs. Mdm. Mashitah Idrus,

Director (Air Division), Department of

Environment (DOE), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)

Panelist 3: Haze and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Speaker: YBhg. Dato' Mohammad Radhi B. Abdul Razak,

Deputy Director (Service

Industry Section), Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department

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4

Session 2: Tackling Haze Problem through the Promotion of Ethical Investment and Best

Agricultural Practices

11:20 – 11:25

11:25 – 11:45

11.45 – 12.05

12:05 – 12:25

12:25 – 12:45

Moderator: YBrs. Dr Zeeda Fatimah Mohamad,

Senior Lecturer, Department of

Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya (UM)

Panelist 4: Haze from the financial perspective

Speaker: YBrs. Dr. Zarina Zakaria,

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business and

Accountancy, University of Malaya (UM)

Panelist 5: Haze from the corporate perspective

Speaker: YBrs. Mr. Lee Ming Enn,

Vice President, Environment Safety and Health,

Sime Darby Group

Panelist 6: Sustainable agricultural practices

Speaker: YBrs Ms. Javin Tan,

Greenhouse Gas Manager, Roundtable on Sustainable

Palm Oil (RSPO)

Panelist 7:

Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) Certification

Speaker: YBrs Mr. Mohd Hasbollah

Suparyono,

Senior Executive, Plantation

Management Unit, Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC)

12:45 – 13:15

EGC open discussion and wrap up Session 2

13:15 – 14:30

Lunch break

Session 3: The Bioethical Dimension of Haze

14:30 – 14:35

Moderator: YBhg. Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed,

Chair, National Bioethics

Council of Malaysia (MBEN)

14:35 – 14:55

14:55 – 15:15

Panelist 8: Cultural and bioethical perspectives

Speaker: YBrs. Dr. Shaikh Mohd Saifuddeen bin Shaikh Mohd Salleh,

Director/Senior

Fellow, Centre for Science and Environment Studies, Institute of Islamic

Understanding (IKIM) cum Member, National Bioethics Council of Malaysia (MBEN)

Panelist 9: Sustainable development and the bioethical dimension

Speaker: YBhg. Prof. Dr. Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman,

Coordinator of University of

Malaya Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

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5

Way Forward and Closing

16:05 – 17:00

YBhg. Datuk Prof. Dr. Azizan Baharuddin

Director-General, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)

Mr. Irakli Khodeli

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P

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AZE

–

K

UALA

L

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18 SEPTEMBER

2017

Irakli Khodeli is Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO Office Jakarta since 2006. Before joining UNESCO, he worked on a wide range of policy issues including judicial reform, rule of law and financial transparency with the Council of State Governments, United States of America from 2002-2005, and Open Society Georgia Foundation from 2005-2006. At UNESCO Headquarter in Paris, France, he worked in the area of Bioethics and Ethics of Science and Technology. Since 2015, he is in charge of Social and Human Sciences Unit in Jakarta Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, working with the governments and the civil society in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor-Leste, covering a range of issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, including social inclusion, human rights, bioethics, environmental ethics and sustainability science. He is the holder of a BA in political science (2001) from Berea College, and a Master’s in International Relations (2003) from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky.

Azizan Baharuddin received her B.Sc (Hons) in Biology from the University of Tasmania, Australia in 1978, MSc (Univ. College London) in 1979 and PhD in Philosophy of Science (Science & Islam) from University of Lancaster, U.K. in 1989. She specializes in interfaith and inter-civilisational dialogue, Islam and science, environmental ethics, bioethics, as well religion and sustainable development. She is active in several governmental non-governmental organizations connected with interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue, youth, gender, development & religion and the environment, and is a member of various advisory and consultative committees for ministries in Malaysia. She was appointed by the Prime Minister as the Chairman of the National Committee for the Promotion of Understanding and Harmony Among Religious Adherents (JKMPKA) from 2014 – 2015; appointed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation as a member (2009 – current) and Chairman of the National Bioethics Council (2014 – 2015). She was appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO as Member of the International Bioethics Committee in Paris (2014 – 2017). She was appointed the Deputy Director-General of the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia/ Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) in 2011 and the Director-General in 2015.

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7 Ecology from the Institute of Biological Sciences, Universiti Malaya; MSc in Environmental Management and Policy from the International Institute of Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), Lund University, Sweden; and MSc and PhD in Science and Technology Policy from SPRU Science and Technology Policy, University of Sussex, United Kingdom. Together with Prof Aziz Raman from the Faculty of Engineering, she was the founding coordinator of the University of Malaya Environmental Secretariat and the founding Director of UMCares, the university's community and sustainability centre. Zeeda's research interest is in the field of sustainability science, especially in seeking to understand the relationship between the development of science, technology and innovation (STI) and environmental protection, particularly within the context of sustainable development and associated challenges to late-industrialising countries.

Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed obtained a Bachelor Degree in Pharmacy from Al-Zagazig University, Egypt, in 1983. After completing internship at Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 1985, he was registered a pharmacist with the Malaysian Pharmacy Board. In the same year he joined Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang (USM) and was awarded the Academic Staff Training Scheme Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology at Sheffield University, United Kingdom.Upon gaining the doctorate in March 1988, he began teaching at the School of Pharmacy, USM. In 1993 – 1994, he spent nine months as a visiting scientist at Japan’s foremost brain research institution, the Laboratory for Neural Information Processing, RIKEN, near Tokyo. In 1996, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). In 1997 Abu Bakar joined the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) as Senior Fellow at the Centre for Economics, Social Science and Technology, writing fortnightly in the Saturday Forum column of the New Straits Times between 1997-2002. Abu Bakar was the Founding Director, Consulting and Training Centre, IKIM, set up in 2000. In the same year he was awarded two fellowships; to conduct research on ‘Bioethics’ at the Centre for European Integration (ZEI) in Bonn, Germany, and the other an individual international visitor’s programme on Religion and Society by the US State Department in September – October. In February 2002, Abu Bakar was appointed Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, September 2002 Dean of the Faculty, 2004 Founding Chairman of College of Science and Technology, and currently Assistant Vice Chancellor (Research) of UiTM, Shah Alam. He is currently the Chairperson of National Bioethics Council of Malaysia (MBEN) under Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

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ON

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IOETHICAL

P

ERSPECTIVES OF

H

AZE

–

K

UALA

L

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18 SEPTEMBER

2017

Abu Bakar Jaafar has served the Government in various capacities including the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in 1977 as Principal Assistant Director (Water Quality), as the Principal Assistant Director in the Economic Planning Unit and as the Deputy Director at DOE. In 1990, he was appointed as the Director General of the DOE and subsequently opted for retirement in 1995 to pursue a career in consulting. He became the Managing Director of Alam Sekitar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Since 2003, he is the Director and Senior Principal Environmental Consultant of Enviro-LIFT Services Sdn Bhd and Novaviro Technology Sdn Bhd, where he is involved in providing environmental advisory and consultancy services on the management of waste, air quality and water quality. At Novaviro Technology Sdn Bhd, he is involved in conducting feasibility studies on effluents discharged by oil palm mills and promoting the transfer of anaerobic digestion technology from a pioneer palm oil mill to other palm oil mills. Currently, he is serving as Professor, UTM Perdana School of Science, Technology, Innovation and Policy and as Co-Chair of UTM Ocean Thermal Energy Centre (UTM OTEC). He was admitted as a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia, and Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. He has been qualified as a Professional Engineer by the Board of Engineers, Malaysia, is the chairman of the Association of Environmental Consultants and Companies of Malaysia (AECCOM) and a member of the Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia (ENSEARCH).

Mashitah Darus is the Director of Air Division, Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment.

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9 professional accountant by qualification. She is member of Qualitative Research Association Malaysia and The Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia and also a Board Member of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board of MIA. Her areas of expertise are Sustainability, Accountability and Governance, Internal Audit.

Lee Ming Enn is currently the Head of Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) of the Sime Darby Group, a Malaysia-based diversified multinational corporation comprising of five Divisions across 26 countries worldwide. The Group employs more than 130,000 people and is involved in businesses ranging from plantation, property, industrial, motors and logistics. In his role, he is involved in leading, advising, strategizing and establishing a robust ESH management system. To add value to the business, he proactively promotes best safety and sustainability practices to contribute to a better society, minimizing environmental harm and deliver sustainable development. He started his career at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Since then, he has held various roles within health and safety – including stints in ABB, Conoco Phillips and Mondelez International, Asia Pacific. Ming Enn has more than 20 years of experience in Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSE) with more than 15 years in senior managerial position in various industries including MNC Oil & Gas, Engineering & Construction, Manufacturing, Electrical, Power and Automation companies and FMCG, Food Manufacturing and Plantation, Property and Automotive industries. Beside Environmental Health and Safety, his experience also covers other business operations including business continuity plan, procurement, supply chain, logistics, warehouse and facilities management, energy saving, contract management, utilities, security, real estate and plant maintenance. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Science and an International Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health Management. He aspires to be a thought leader, proactively promoting sustainable safety and developing sectoral "best practices" and standards by learning & sharing sector expertise and knowledge with regional and global safety and sustainability practitioners

Mohd Hasbollah Suparyono joined the Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) in 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Science Bio-industry from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Currently a Senior Executive attached to Plantation Management Division. He is involved in the development of the standards of the MSPO Certification Scheme. Other responsibilities include to facilitate the capacity building by providing familiarisation programme for industry to be certified under MSPO, development of training programme for auditors, peer reviewers and other interested parties. Prior to MPOCC, he worked with large plantation company in Malaysia, and gained experience in the areas of oil palm plantation operation, sustainability, internal audit & risk management.

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C

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(EGC)

ON

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IOETHICAL

P

ERSPECTIVES OF

H

AZE

–

K

UALA

L

UMPUR

18 SEPTEMBER

2017

Javin Tan joined the RSPO Secretariat in April 2016. An Environmental and Natural Resource Management graduate from the Australian National University (ANU), she acts as the focal point for greenhouse gas (GHG) related issues in relation to RSPO certification and plantation operations, as well as for external stakeholders. Prior to RSPO, she was the Forest and Carbon Senior Program Officer of WWF-Malaysia for 8 years, working on various forest carbon and conservation and sustainable financing projects in Malaysia.

Shaikh Mohd Saifuddeen bin Shaikh Mohd Salleh is currently Senior Fellow and Director at the Centre for Science and Environment Studies, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. He holds a degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Glasgow, as well as a master’s degree in history and philosophy of science, and a doctorate degree in the same field from the University of Malaya. At the national level, he is a member of the National Bioethics Council of Malaysia under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; and member of the Public Awareness Action Committee on Organ Donation under the Ministry of Health. He is also involved with a number of committees such as Member of the Curriculum Review Panel for the Programme of Applied Sciences and Islamic Studies at the University of Malaya; Member of the Research Ethics Committee of Universiti Teknologi MARA; Member of the Expert Panel Committee of Islamic Science and Technology under Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka; and distinguished fellow of the research advisory committee of the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre.

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11

LISTS

OF

M

ODERATORS

/P

ANELISTS

EXPERT GROUP CONSULTATION (EGC) ON BIOETHICAL PERSPECTIVES OF HAZE

–

KUALA LUMPUR

18 S

EPTEMBER

2017

Session 1: International and Intragovernmental Initiatives in the

Reduction and Management of Haze in Malaysia

Moderator

YBRS. DR. HELENA MUHAMMAD VARKKEY

Senior Lecturer

Department of International and Strategic Studies

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

University of Malaya (UM)

C ONSULTATION (EGC) ON B

E

XPERT

G

ROUP

C

ONSULTATION

(EGC)

ON

B

IOETHICAL

P

ERSPECTIVE OF

H

AZE IN

M

ALAYSIA

UNESCO Jakarta Office

&

Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia

in collaboration with

Academy of Sciences Malaysia

&

University of Malaya

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

18 SEPTEMBER 2017

Introduction

The haze

has a devastating effect on human health. The haze particles increase the risk of cardiovascular and

respiratory diseases and cancer. Infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons suffering from chronic health

conditions are especially vulnerable.

It is a recurring problem

–

every few years

, concessionaires or farmers use fire

as the most cost-effective method to clear land in preparation for the new crop cycle and for clearing surrounding

forests

for further expansion of plantations. Every year, the haze disrupts lives, costs the region’s governments

billions of dollars, and leaves millions of people at risk. Moreover, peatlands are extremely carbon rich, hence

burning them allows carbon to escape into the atmosphere, raising Indonesia's contribution to climate change. In

2015, with the weather patterns caused by El-Nino compounding the problem, the human and economic costs

reached epic proportions. According to Greenpeace, around 110,000 deaths occur annually from pollution-related

illnesses stemming from the haze. In 2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declared a state of emergency

due to haze for districts of Muar and Ledang in Johor. The declaration was made following the haze situation,

particularly in the two districts, exceeding 500 on the Air Pollutants Index (API) which was an emergency level. The

air quality indicators have fluctuated between unhealthy and very unhealthy, depending on the wind conditions

during haze episodes. Residents in all three affected countries have been recommended to stay indoors and more

than 2,000 schools have closed across Indonesia and Malaysia, affecting 1.5 million students and their parents for

weeks.

To date,

Malaysian researchers under the auspices of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) have embarked on a

comprehensive project named HAZE (Help Action towards Zero Emission) to consolidate present knowledge and

understanding of haze in Malaysia. This project has focused on three main aspects of the haze issue; (i) air quality

and haze episodes; (ii) peat area and water management, and (iii) waste to resources.

However,

the report has yet to

address the bioethical dimension and understanding within its policy recommendations and outcomes. In addressing

the problem of transboundary haze, bioethics perspectives can be informative in developing novel directions

towards resolving this annual regional environmental challenge.

Objectives

As a research institute, IKIM aims to inform the public on issues that are of national importance, and certainly one of

the most pressing issues today is environmental issue and climate change. In the context of the haze issue in

Malaysia, IKIM is very pleased to work with UNESCO Jakarta, ASM and University of Malaya researchers in terms of

promoting religious and cultural values vis-a-vis environmental ethics in addressing the bioethical perspectives of

haze.

Among the objectives of the EGC:

1)

to gather experts in order to deliberate and incorporate the bioethical dimension for guiding policy making

on the eradication of haze to multiple actors involved in the issue;

2)

to deliberate on finance and trade considerations to understand better the sources of haze in Malaysia; and

3)

to explore the mobilization of ethical and sustainability science dimensions to create win-win solutions

between ecology, knowledge and innovation, and to create synergies between the economy and society.

Contact person:

Mr. Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, IKIM,

[email protected]

Mr. Mohd Noor Musa, IKIM,

[email protected]

Expert Group Consultation (EGC) on Bioethical Perspective of Haze in Malaysia