Yes, again!

My husband and I were greeted by haze the evening we arrived from our holiday. An opaque veil hung all around us. The next morning, the veil hadn’t lifted.

From wide open spaces and clean, breathable air in Scotland, being home felt oppressive. We were forced to stay indoors, and go out only when it was necessary.

We confined our walks to shopping malls not because the parks were closed. The air in the parks was not fit for breathing. I kid you not. The environment smelt of smoke, and felt dense like a sodden cloak.

The Air Pollutant Index or API, which measures haze and air quality, was above 100 in KL, and in most states in Peninsular Malaysia. It was higher still in Sabah and Sarawak. The highest recorded API in KL was 189 while in Kuching, it was 407.

For context, an API reading of over 300 is hazardous. Between 101 to 200 is unhealthy, while 51 to 100 is moderate while anything under 50 is good.

Briefly, the Department of Environment (DOE) operates 68 automatic air quality monitoring stations that calculates API using sub-indices for six major air pollutants, namely ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter smaller than 10 microns (PM10) and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5)[1] PM2.5 is commonly the dominant pollutant during haze episodes.

What is PM2.5? They are fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less. They can travel deep into the lungs, and some may enter the bloodstream, contributing to inflammation and effects beyond the respiratory system[2].

After realising what PM2.5 was and the other bad stuff that we were breathing, my husband bought a filter/purifier machine to try to keep the air inside our condo less bad. The contraption proffered to help kill harmful bacteria, purify the air every 12 minutes and display the real time PM2.5 level. Did/does it work? I think so. The reading went up when we opened the doors to our balcony and bathrooms.

Yes, we were able to control the internal air quality to some extent. What about the external air quality that was distressing us? What about the millions of people who live in the country where the fires started? And, what about the millions of people in countries that were/are in the path of this non-boundary respecting haze?  

At home, the Health Ministry said asthma cases in heavily affected states including Sarawak, Kedah and Perak surged to 219 from 61 within a week. Upper respiratory tract infection cases more than doubled to 3,674 from 1,637, an increase of 124 per cent.[3]

Schools were shuttered intermittently. Outdoor activities were discouraged. Sporting events were postponed indefinitely. Flights were disrupted due to limited visibility.

Businesses, big and small, suffered. Construction. Plantation. Tourism. Fishermen. Farmers. Micro-entrepreneurs. Kiosks operators. Delivery riders. And, everyone whose livelihood was related to or required them to be outdoors.

The haze caused people to fall sick, increase healthcare spend and disrupt economic activities.

‘The losses from the prolonged haze could amount to between RM20mil and RM50mil every day while the actual economic toll could potentially balloon to a whopping RM600mil to RM1.5bil a month,’ said Sunway University economics professor, Dr Yeah Kim Leng.

He added, ‘The 1997 haze cost about RM800mil; in 2013 it was RM1.57bil in healthcare and lost income. And, in 2019 regional haze cost US$5.2bil across affected areas.’[4]

Yes, it’s a recurring non-natural tragedy since 1997.  

Why? …  the months of wildfires in Indonesia are reportedly caused by deliberate slash-and-burn practices for agricultural purposes and is exacerbated by a prolonged El Niño-induced drought[5]. According to forest monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas, around 1.9 million hectares of land burned from January to September, 2026.

Who is responsible?

‘Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) or the Indonesian environmental non-governmental organisation has claimed that 21 companies linked to business groups with Malaysian ties were involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia between January and September 2026.’

‘… the WALHI report also revealed that many other high-risk concessions were controlled by foreign capital and conglomerates with parent entities or registered shareholders in Singapore, Hong Kong and tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands and Samoa.’[6]

The findings by WALHI are part of a mapping analysis report titled, “Who Are Behind the Fires?”

Meanwhile, ‘Greenpeace Indonesia and Pantau Gambut alleged that plantation companies from Malaysia and Singapore were among 20 entities linked to forest fires, based on a dataset of haze sources covering Aug 1 to Oct 1. The report said some of the same Indonesian entities had also been identified in a 2019 report in connection with fires on land they owned.[7]

So how?

Will and can these companies be held accountable?

Will the powers that be act decisively against offenders?

Or will this mainly man-made haze tragically reoccur in 2027?