Malaysia to Push for Regional Action on Transboundary Haze at ASEAN Ministers Meeting
Malaysia's foreign minister said he will raise the transboundary haze problem at the upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers gathering, urging stronger regional measures.
At a press briefing in Sepang, Malaysia's foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said he will personally bring the transboundary haze issue to the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting ahead of the bloc's 49th summit in Manila. He argued that current ASEAN frameworks for natural disasters omit haze, leaving a gap in regional response. Hasan cited recent updates from his Indonesian counterpart Arrmanatha Nasir, who reported that dense smoke has grounded 34 Indonesian aircraft and helicopters, despite a deployment of 60,000 ground personnel.
The minister added that fires deep inland, scarce water, and persistent peatland smouldering complicate suppression efforts, and that cloud-seeding is currently impossible due to a lack of suitable clouds. While acknowledging Indonesia's intensive efforts, Hasan called for more decisive measures to mitigate the haze's impact on neighboring populations.
Why it matters
Haze from Indonesian fires affects air quality and health across Southeast Asia, prompting calls for coordinated regional action.
How this story developed
- Sep 28 Airstrike on Kyauktaw kills at least 33, injures dozens amid Myanmar conflict
- Sep 29 A government spokesperson did not immediately reply to inquiries about the strike.
- Oct 4 Three Myanmar Navy vessels docked in Thanlyin early Tuesday, bringing 1,476 migrants back from Malaysia, prompting fears about their fate in a conflict-ridden nation.
- Oct 6 Malaysia has invited Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing to discuss the repatriation process.
- Oct 8 Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Malaysia for talks on refugee returns.
- Oct 8 Myanmar agreed to cover the costs of repatriating its nationals from Malaysia.
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