KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should rally Asean to exert diplomatic and financial pressure on Indonesia over the recurring transboundary haze crisis, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Muar member of parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman called for a coordinated regional diplomatic protest, restrictions on financing for companies linked to open burning and consumer-led economic pressure.
"You need to treat them as an outcast in the region," he said when debating the 2027 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said any diplomatic protest should be made collectively by Asean rather than Malaysia alone, arguing that regional pressure would carry greater weight.
Syed Saddiq also urged Malaysia and Singapore to use their financial influence to deny funding to companies implicated in slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia.
"Cut their access. Hurt their wallet," he said, stressing that companies linked to such practices should no longer have access to financing from financial institutions in both countries.
He also proposed mobilising Malaysian consumers to exert economic pressure, saying governments should not bear sole responsibility for addressing the crisis.
"We must mobilise Malaysians to exert financial pressure. We have the power and the purchasing power to make Indonesian companies take notice.
"I think we do that, we hit them where it hurts them the most," he said.
Syed Saddiq said Malaysia must also take action against its own companies if they were found to be involved in activities contributing to the haze.
"We cannot be hypocrites. If our companies are involved, don't be afraid. Take action against our companies too," he added.
He also called for legislation similar to Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to hold companies accountable for transboundary pollution.
Syed Saddiq warned that the haze crisis affected not only public health and tourism but also education, particularly when schools were forced to close.
He said children from low-income households were disproportionately affected, as many lacked laptops, tablets or reliable internet access to continue learning remotely, further widening existing educational inequalities.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd