Civil groups rally parliament to fast-track transboundary haze legislation against polluting firms

About 40 representatives of civil-society organisations, including Greenpeace Malaysia, Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia (Haram), Zero Waste Malaysia and Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam, marched from Tugu Negara to the Malaysian Parliament demanding swift enactment of a transboundary haze law. They cite a new Greenpeace Indonesia-Malaysia-Pantau Gambut report that logged 6,811 haze-source points between early August and early October, many within forestry and oil-palm concessions linked to Malaysian and Singaporean businesses.

Campaign manager Heng Kiah Chun urged the government to convert its stated consideration into concrete, time-bound action, while Haram chair Brendon Gan appealed to MPs to protect the public’s right to clean air. The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry confirmed it is studying legislative mechanisms, drawing on Singapore’s model, and a special committee of relevant ministries has been set up. The push revives a 2019 proposal abandoned in 2020 by the Perikatan Nasional administration, which had opted for ASEAN-wide cooperation instead. Eight MPs, including Dr Kelvin Lii and Syerleena Abdul Rashid, met the marchers outside the Dewan Rakyat to receive their demands.