Malaysia’s fury rises as Indonesian haze shuts schools, blankets region, and sparks calls for accountability
Severe wildfire haze from Indonesia has caused a regional pollution crisis, leading to school closures and public outcry in Malaysia. While Malaysia has offered assistance, diplomatic tensions are rising over the perceived lack of accountability from Indonesian authorities.
Why it matters
Transboundary pollution highlights the challenges of regional environmental governance and the economic impact of climate-exacerbated natural disasters.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Closed schools, shuttered sports centres and mass mask handouts. Indonesian wildfire haze has caused a regional pollution crisis and prompted growing frustration in neighbours, including Malaysia.
“You need to treat them as an outcast in the region,” Malaysian parliamentarian Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman railed this week talking about the Indonesian fires.
His comments go much further than the gentle diplomatic pressure Malaysia’s government has so far applied, but they reflect a simmering frustration with Indonesia’s inability to control the fires.
“Malaysia and Indonesia are close neighbours, but that relationship must also come with responsibility,” Malaysian parliamentarian Syerleena Abdul Rashid told AFP.
“Why should Malaysians continue paying the price for irresponsible actions beyond our borders?” she said.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday defended the approach, saying the South-east Asian nation “has done everything we can” to engage neighbouring Indonesia on the issue.
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