Child Health at Risk as ASEAN’s Haze Strategy Lacks Teeth, PM Warns

Kuala Lumpur, 8 September – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned that ASEAN’s present haze‑control system is inadequate to protect the health of children and infants in the region. The recurring trans‑boundary haze is pushing air‑quality indices into dangerous territory, he said, with direct consequences for young lungs.

During a press conference, Anwar emphasized that ASEAN’s current procedures remain largely on paper and fail to enforce preventive measures against the ignition of forest fires. He called for a robust, action‑oriented plan that can be implemented immediately.

“The current arrangement leaves ample scope for improvement,” the prime minister noted, urging ASEAN ministers to treat the haze issue as a public‑health emergency.

He highlighted Serian in Sarawak’s northern Borneo, where authorities declared an emergency after the Air Pollutant Index rose above 301, the national danger mark. Although the emergency was lifted on Monday, the API climbed back to 302 the following day, keeping the district in a hazardous state.

Anwar also stressed the need for a full investigation into claims that Malaysian companies were involved in setting fires in Indonesia. He pledged that Malaysia would respect any Indonesian enforcement actions if the probe proves corporate culpability.