Haze protection cannot stop at telling Malaysians to wear masks. Outdoor workers can spend 8 hours or more exposed to polluted air.
Delivery riders, construction workers and traffic personnel cannot simply stay indoors. Who is responsible for protecting them?
Malaysia needs clear thresholds for reducing or suspending outdoor work during severe haze, alongside mandatory workplace risk assessments, suitable respirators and alternative duties when exposure becomes 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.
Malaysia needs stronger coordination between the health, labour, environment and trade ministries under its National Action Plan on Haze.
As a party to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, Malaysia must also strengthen regional monitoring, information-sharing and enforcement. Commitments must translate into coordinated action at home.
Malaysian companies with investments in Kalimantan 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 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. – October 21, 2026
Charles Santiago is former Klang MP