ASEANNETWORKNEWS| Malaysia’s Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health (JKPK) announced plans to deliver a memorandum to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to address the haze affecting Malaysia. Committee chairman Suhaizan Kayat said the pollution had affected several areas, including the environment, public health, public safety, the national economy, and diplomatic relations between neighboring countries.
JKPK member Khoo Poay Tiong urged the Malaysian government to take firm action against companies suspected of being linked to forest and land fires in Indonesia, which have contributed to the cross-border haze.
Khoo referred to a Greenpeace report identifying 20 companies allegedly connected to forest fires in Indonesia. According to reports, the list includes a major Malaysian plantation company through a subsidiary registered in Indonesia. These allegations have not been independently established in this report.
Khoo also highlighted the impact of the haze on visibility in Kuala Lumpur, including the area around the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). He called on the Malaysian government to follow up on the reported allegations and consider measures similar to those taken by Singapore.
Khoo suggested that Malaysia consider adopting Singapore’s approach to companies suspected of involvement in forest fires in Indonesia.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) reportedly issued notices to 10 Indonesian companies, requesting information about their commitments to extinguish fires and prevent new outbreaks. The notices were intended to obtain information from the companies regarding their fire-prevention efforts.
The proposal comes as Malaysia and Singapore face the effects of haze associated with forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Separately, Malaysian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said Malaysia respects Indonesia’s sovereignty while continuing to defend its citizens’ interests in addressing transboundary pollution.
He said Malaysia and Indonesia would continue working together through the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. Malaysia has also offered assistance to Indonesia, including aerial firefighting operations, amphibious aircraft, and cloud seeding, according to Indonesia’s state news agency, ANTARA.
The Malaysian government has also discussed longer-term cooperation with Indonesia to prevent recurring fires, improve hotspot data sharing, identify high-risk areas, and coordinate early intervention.
CNN Indonesia reported that it had contacted Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang on October 21, 2026, to seek confirmation regarding the Malaysian parliamentary committee’s statement. However, no response had been received at the time of publication.
The status of the memorandum’s delivery and any subsequent official response from the Indonesian government could not be independently confirmed from the available reports.
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