Charles wants more than masks in the haze of accountability

Protection against the haze must go beyond telling Malaysians to mask up, especially when the effective variants do not come cheap, said former DAP MP Charles Santiago, who urged the government to hold plantation companies accountable and address the plight of those who cannot afford to stay indoors.

He said Malaysian companies with investments in Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s main haze hotspot areas, should voluntarily disclose their concession areas and relevant subsidiaries.

“The government should...

Protection against the haze must go beyond telling Malaysians to mask up, especially when the effective variants do not come cheap, said former DAP MP Charles Santiago, who urged the government to hold plantation companies accountable and address the plight of those who cannot afford to stay indoors.

He said Malaysian companies with investments in Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s main haze hotspot areas, should voluntarily disclose their concession areas and relevant subsidiaries.

“The government should cross-check these disclosures against fire hotspots and land records, investigate credible links to the fires, and publish its findings.

“We cannot keep asking the public to bear the health costs of haze without investigating who is contributing to it,” he said in a post on X, tagging Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who last week defended Putrajaya’s response by saying “we have done everything we can”.

Anwar was responding to allegations that the government had not been proactive enough in tackling the haze, which has pushed air pollution levels into the unhealthy range in several parts of the country.

Beyond the haze hanging over the country, Charles (above) also highlighted the plight of those who have little choice but to work outdoors, including delivery riders, construction workers and traffic personnel, leaving them exposed to polluted air for hours.

“Who is responsible for protecting them?” he asked in another post, this time tagging Human Resources Minister R Ramanan.

Charles said Malaysia needed clear thresholds for reducing or suspending outdoor work during severe haze, backed by mandatory workplace risk assessments, suitable respirators and alternative duties when exposure became unsafe.

“Other countries already use air-quality thresholds to guide workplace precautions. Malaysia should translate its own guidelines into clear, enforceable action.

“⁠N95 boxes reportedly cost RM40-50, with other options at RM57-60. That is a significant expense for workers who may need protection throughout a prolonged haze episode.

“The government should negotiate bulk procurement and ensure affordable, quality-certified N95 masks. Employers must cover the cost of protection required for workplace exposure,” he added, tagging the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.

Stronger coordination needed

In a separate post directed at Anwar, Charles called for stronger coordination among the health, labour, environment and trade ministries under Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Haze.

As a party to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, he added, Malaysia must also strengthen regional monitoring, information-sharing and enforcement.

On Oct 13, Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh told the Dewan Rakyat that the government had assessed the feasibility of enacting a Transboundary Haze Act.

He said the ministry had examined evidentiary requirements, enforcement jurisdiction and potential diplomatic implications for relations with neighbouring countries.

He added that the biggest stumbling block, however, was gathering sufficient evidence to trace the haze to its source and identify those responsible.

Across the Causeway, Singapore has vowed to pull every legal, regulatory and economic lever available against companies responsible for the haze, pursuing them “for as long as it takes”.

Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Oct 19 that Singapore was also prepared to urgently strengthen laws targeting such companies.