Malaysia to raise transboundary haze crisis at ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting

Malaysia will raise the worsening transboundary haze crisis at an upcoming ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, seeking stronger regional mechanisms to tackle pollution from forest fires in neighboring Indonesia, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Monday. The issue will be discussed ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila next month, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported. Mohamad said existing ASEAN disaster management mechanisms did not adequately address transboundary haze. “We already have an ASEAN mechanism for natural disasters, but haze is not included or classified as a natural disaster,” he told reporters in Sepang. Indonesia has deployed about 60,000 personnel to fight the fires, but thick smoke has severely restricted aerial firefighting operations, Mohamad said. He said Indonesian officials had informed him that 34 airplanes and 34 helicopters were unable to operate because of poor visibility. Firefighting efforts have also been hampered by the remote locations of burning areas, limited water supplies and persistent underground peat fires. Mohamad said cloud-seeding operations were currently impossible because suitable rain-bearing clouds were unavailable. He acknowledged Indonesia's efforts to contain the fires but urged more effective action, citing the impact on Malaysian communities. Transboundary haze caused by forest and peatland fires has repeatedly affected Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, raising concerns about public health and regional environmental cooperation.