Anwar personally contacts Indonesian President Prabowo over haze crisis

Speaking to reporters at the finance ministry after monitoring preparations for the 2027 budget, Anwar said the current haze situation was “very concerning” as it would impact public health.

“I have contacted president Prabowo and he agreed to take the necessary steps. Our foreign and environment ministers have also contacted their Indonesian counterparts.

“As we stated a few weeks ago, we are prepared to cooperate (with Indonesia to address the fires) because the haze is at a concerning level and affecting the people’s health. At the same time, we are ramping up cloud seeding here,” he said.

Anwar added that he had asked foreign minister Mohamad Hasan to push for a meeting between the Asean environment ministers to discuss the issue.

Malaysia has been battling haze since August, with Sarawak initially bearing the brunt of the effects of fires in Kalimantan.

As of 3pm, 38 areas recorded unhealthy air quality with the highest air pollutant index (API) reading reported in Segamat, Johor, at 190, nearing very unhealthy levels.

The other affected states and federal territories are Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Perak, Terengganu, Penang and Kedah.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has called for all schools in areas that record API reading of 150 and above to close immediately.

Recently, environmental group Greenpeace claimed that 20 companies were linked to fire hotspots in Indonesia, including several Malaysian and Singaporean-linked firms.