Page 14 - MEDLIFE MAGAZINE

14 MEDLIFE

therefore affects the import and export trading. Therefore, it is very clear that it is clear the haze
could be detrimental to our country. Chan (2015)

“This causes decreased photosynthesis and transpiration in plants.” said Sharma (2015).
The haze can affect flora and fauna in our country. When the haze effect, almost doubling the
carbon dioxide content of dairy content, otherwise the oxygen content will be less than usual.
This will cause the plant will take longer time to grow. (Chan, 2015) Quality and yield will also
deteriorate. This is caused by the process of photosynthesis affected by excessive carbon dioxide
content. Respiratory process involves the absorption of oxygen and carbon dioxide emissions are
causing green plants grow longer. (Gomez, 2009)

Animals, like humans, can experience health problems if they are exposed to sufficient
concentrations of airborne toxins over time. “For example, a wildlife rescue centre in Borneo
recently reported that upper respiratory tract infection, dehydration and malnourishment are
among the major problems faced by the orang utans in their facilities, and so depending on the
level of pollutants in the air, this may also contribute to birth defects, reproductive failure and
disease in animals. The singing behaviour and communication of gibbons is also known to be
disrupted by the thick haze, in which long term effects are also linked to reduced reproductive
capacity,” according to Sharma (2015). The loss of habitat due to forest fires is one of the primary
reasons of decreasing orangutan population. Zenata (2014).

Acid rain damages trees and causes soils and water bodies to acidify, making the water
unsuitable for some fish and marine life as a more acidic environment could detrimentally affect
calcifying species such as clams, oyster, sea urchins, shallow water corals and calcareous plankton.
In addition to this, animals, like humans, can experience health problems if they are exposed to
sufficient concentrations of airborne toxins over time. (Sharma, 2015)

When shelled organisms are at risk from acidification of the ocean, the entire marine food
chain is at risk. Today, more than a billion people worldwide rely on food from the ocean as their
primary source of protein. Dionysius (2015)

To conclude, the haze phenomenon in Malaysia was man made, which is caused by the
illegal burning of forests and peat on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island to clear space for local and foreign
palm oil plantations. However, domestic factors such as industry activities, motor vehicle and
open burning were also contributed and make the haze situation worst. This is why as Malaysians,
we must be responsible for each and everyone’s lives and to do that, we must abide by the rules set
by the government in order to create a better tomorrow for all the citizens of Malaysia.