Malaysia PM Calls Prabowo Over Haze as Kuala Lumpur Chokes
Malaysia Seeks Regional Action as Haze Engulfs Kuala Lumpur
Theindiapostdaily.com – Thick haze from Indonesia’s severe wildfire season has pushed air pollution in Kuala Lumpur into a dangerous range, prompting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to speak with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto about urgent steps to contain the crisis.
By Thursday afternoon, Kuala Lumpur’s air was classified as “very unhealthy” by IQAir and the city had risen to the top of the global pollution rankings. The dense smoke obscured major landmarks, leaving Menara Merdeka Maybank and the Petronas Twin Towers barely visible through the murky skyline.
The pollution episode has become a growing public-health and transport concern in Malaysia after smoke drifted across borders from fires burning in Indonesia. Parts of Southeast Asia have faced heavy haze for more than a month as the region experiences one of its harshest wildfire periods in recent years.
Schools and Flights Affected in Johor
Johor, at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia, has been among the areas hit hardest. State authorities ordered schools to remain closed for the rest of the week, disrupting classes for roughly 617,000 students.
Anwar described the conditions as deeply concerning and said Prabowo had agreed that action was needed, though he did not disclose the measures Indonesia would take.
“The haze situation is indeed worrying,” Anwar Ibrahim told reporters.
Visibility problems also disrupted air travel. Early Thursday, at least five flights at Senai International Airport in Johor were affected after haze reduced visibility below required aviation safety levels. Some aircraft were redirected to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, while other services departed later than planned.
The effects have extended beyond schools and airports. Last week, organisers of the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon cancelled the children’s race because of health concerns. Other events, including the full marathon and half marathon, continued.
Malaysia Pushes for Faster Firefighting Cooperation
Malaysia is seeking accelerated discussions with Indonesia so it can send a team to assist with firefighting operations. The government has also increased cloud-seeding efforts within Malaysia in an attempt to lessen the impact of the haze.
Anwar said officials were working to convene environment ministers from the region. Such a meeting would bring attention to the cross-border nature of the emergency, as smoke generated in one country can rapidly affect neighboring populations when weather conditions carry it across the region.
Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi has called for an emergency gathering of regional leaders, arguing that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should take a stronger role in the response.
“Asean needs to play a more active role and hold an emergency meeting to address this crisis collectively,” Onn Hafiz Ghazi wrote in a Facebook post.
The regional grouping includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, among other Southeast Asian countries. Cooperation is particularly important during haze events because firefighting, evidence gathering and environmental enforcement can involve companies, land areas and government agencies across national borders.
Dry Conditions Intensify Longstanding Fire Risks
Indonesia’s fires have been linked to the long-running practice of clearing land through slash-and-burn methods. This year’s dry conditions have been intensified by a powerful El Niño, creating an environment in which fires can spread more easily and produce smoke that travels far beyond the affected areas.
The crisis has revived calls for stronger legal tools to address environmental damage that crosses borders. Greenpeace Malaysia and several civil-society organisations held a demonstration on Wednesday, urging the government to introduce legislation that would give authorities clearer powers to investigate companies, collect evidence and pursue enforcement in cases involving transboundary harm.
The groups argue that stronger Malaysian laws would be useful but insufficient on their own. They have called for regional mechanisms and bilateral channels that can help authorities obtain evidence connected to fires and companies operating outside Malaysia.
Such measures could matter when pollution is generated far from the communities suffering its consequences. For residents in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, the immediate concerns remain the quality of the air they breathe, school closures, travel disruptions and the uncertainty over how long the haze will persist.
Accountability and Support for Communities at Risk
Joseph D’Cruz, chief executive officer of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, said the public response should combine accountability for those responsible with support for people working to protect vulnerable land.
“Public anger on haze needs to bring about a twofold response: holding to account those who are culpable while recognizing and supporting those who are doing their utmost to protect the forests and farmlands at risk,” Joseph D’Cruz said.
The latest haze emergency underscores how environmental disasters can quickly become regional crises. Malaysia’s efforts to coordinate with Indonesia and seek broader Asean involvement reflect the need for action both at the fire sites and across the countries exposed to the resulting smoke.
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