WORSENING haze that forced school closures in several states has put the spotlight on Malaysia’s efforts to curb open burning, with authorities recording 2,104 complaints and carrying out 3,039 enforcement actions between Aug 3 and Oct 9.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said the Environment Department’s enforcement efforts included issuing 13 compounds and bringing two cases to court, among other actions.
During the same period, 14 large-scale fires in Sarawak and Johor were extinguished.
“There will be no compromise in enforcement,” he said during a Special Chambers session in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.
The haze crisis was particularly severe in September, when an emergency was declared in Serian, Sarawak, after the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached 521, a hazardous level.
On the possible cross-border source of the haze, Syed Ibrahim said Malaysia had received no official reports of Malaysian companies being involved in open burning in Indonesia.
He said the matter had been cross-checked with the Foreign Ministry and the Plantation and Commodities Ministry.
“If there are Malaysian companies involved, we can call up those with operations there and seek a swift resolution,” he said.
Syed Ibrahim said the government was prioritising stronger enforcement of domestic laws against open burning, better information-sharing and closer cooperation with neighbouring countries. - October 14, 2026