Haze: MMA hold Asean governments to account

KUCHING: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and other ASEAN members to take urgent, coordinated action to end the region’s recurring transboundary haze crisis.

It warned that millions of people should not have to endure toxic air year after year.

MMA president Dr L. Sivanaesan said the haze was not merely a seasonal inconvenience but a recurring public health emergency that governments had failed to resolve despite more than two decades of repeated episodes and unfulfilled assurances.

“Clean air is a basic right, not a privilege. After more than two decades of recurring haze, the people deserve results, not more promises,” he said in a press statement on Saturday.

The association cited air quality readings on Oct 9, when nine monitoring stations recorded Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 180, while 37 of 68 stations nationwide reported unhealthy air quality.

Sivanaesan said the figures represented real health risks for children, elderly people and vulnerable communities exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, triggering asthma attacks, worsening chronic respiratory diseases and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with existing medical conditions face the greatest risks, he said.

The MMA stressed that the consequences extended beyond public health, with school closures disrupting education, particularly for disadvantaged families, while businesses faced losses, productivity declined and healthcare costs increased.

Calling for accountability, the association urged ASEAN governments to enforce the region’s haze agreement through clear deadlines, measurable commitments and public progress reports.

It also called for investigations and prosecutions against those responsible for illegal burning, including Malaysian-linked companies where applicable.

Penalties must be strong enough to deter future violations, while concession maps and fire hotspot data should be made publicly accessible to improve transparency, it said.

The MMA urged governments to treat haze as a public health emergency by activating response plans, monitoring haze-related illnesses and ensuring healthcare facilities have sufficient staff, medicines and equipment.

Vulnerable communities must receive appropriate respiratory protection, including free N95 masks for those who can safely use them, while clean-air shelters should be established in severely affected areas, particularly for high-risk groups.

The association also called for consistent school closure protocols based on air quality and support for students from disadvantaged households during home-based learning.

On prevention, it urged regional governments to invest in peatland restoration, fire prevention, early warning systems and sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn practices, stressing that such efforts must continue throughout the year.

Sivanaesan pointed to the 2015 haze crisis, when then Indonesian president Joko Widodo pledged to resolve the problem within three years.

More than a decade later, forest and land fires continue to produce toxic haze across Southeast Asia, underscoring the gap between political assurances and lasting solutions.

The MMA said doctors could treat the health consequences of haze, but addressing its root causes required decisive action and sustained commitment from governments across the region.

It warned that Southeast Asia could not continue moving from one haze crisis to another while the underlying causes remained unresolved, urging governments to be held accountable for delivering lasting solutions.