Malaysia has urged ASEAN member states to enhance preventive measures and preparedness to tackle worsening transboundary haze pollution caused by prolonged dry weather and increased hotspots. The call came as 11 areas in Sarawak and Melaka recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) levels on August 22, 2026, with Serian registering the highest API at 190 followed by Kuching (181) and Samarahan (177) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup conveyed Malaysia’s position to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on August 21. Kurup stressed the need for "collective preparedness and heightened vigilance at the regional level," noting that although fires remain controlled within ASEAN borders, the risk of haze crossing boundaries remains high [1, 2, 4, 5]. He added that "early interventions, accurate information exchange and close regional coordination are fundamental elements in addressing the haze issue effectively" [5].

On August 22, during the 27th Annual Leaders’ Consultations, Malaysia and Brunei agreed to employ ASEAN mechanisms to address the haze problem jointly [6, 7]. The following days saw Malaysia and Indonesia commit to ramping up haze preventive and early suppression efforts ahead of Malaysia’s National Day on August 31 and Malaysia Day on September 16. Malaysia also expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s clearance allowing cloud seeding operations to cross its airspace along shared borders. Malaysia remains ready to assist Indonesia with firefighting, pending Cabinet approval [8, 9].

The haze crisis is expected to worsen with the intensification of the El Niño phenomenon and the onset of the Southwest Monsoon, said Kurup, who warned the region could see deteriorating conditions over the coming months [1, 2, 4, 5, 8]. As of August 22, no areas in Malaysia recorded good air quality, while 57 locations had moderate API readings. The Education Ministry has ordered suspension of all outdoor activities in schools where API exceeds 100 to protect children’s health [1, 10].

Due to the haze, the government is considering scaling down or moving National Day celebrations indoors at Dataran Putrajaya, with ongoing reviews by relevant ministries including communications, environment, meteorology, education, and health [11].

The National Day event remains scheduled for August 31, and Malaysia Day celebrations are planned for September 16 in Kuching, Sarawak, both subject to haze conditions [8, 9].