30/09/2026

WEDNESDAY | SEPT 30, 2026

3 ‘Financial losses caused by haze difficult to calculate’

Air quality unhealthy in several states

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Air quality readings in several states remained in the unhealthy range by 4pm yesterday amid haze, with Environment Department data showing a sharp spike from moderate levels recorded a day earlier. According to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), Johan Setia in Selangor recorded the highest reading at 176, followed by IPD Serian in Sarawak (175), Bandaraya Melaka and Nilai (174) and Pasir Gudang (173). Other high readings included Larkin, Shah Alam and Bukit Rambai (170), Cheras (169), Batu Pahat and Port Dickson (167), while Putrajaya, Tangkak and Seremban stood at 165. In Selangor, all stations indicated unhealthy readings at 4pm, starting with Johan Setia (176), Shah Alam (170), Klang (164), Banting (162), Kuala Selangor (160) and Petaling Jaya (159). At noon on Monday, several of the same stations were still in the moderate range, including Petaling Jaya (64), Shah Alam (68), Klang (59), Cheras (74) and Putrajaya (59). APIMS trend charts showed readings rising from Monday afternoon and continuing into yesterday, with Petaling Jaya crossing into the unhealthy range yesterday morning before reaching 159 by 4pm. Beyond the Klang Valley, Johor continued to record widespread unhealthy readings, led by Pasir Gudang (173) and Larkin (170), followed by Batu Pahat (167), Tangkak (165), Kota Tinggi (164), Pengerang (163), Segamat (160) and Kluang (155). In Malacca, Bandaraya Melaka recorded readings of 174, Bukit Rambai (170) and Alor Gajah (162). In Negeri Sembilan, Nilai reached 174, while Port Dickson recorded 167 and Seremban 165. Several areas outside the earlier high-reading cluster also worsened by 4pm, including Jerantut (145), Kemaman (137), Kuala Terengganu (135), Minden (128), Balik Pulau (117) and Samalaju (116). In Sarawak, IPD Serian recorded 175, followed by Kuching and Samarahan (158), while northern Sarawak remained comparatively low, with Limbang (26), ILP Miri (32) and Miri (41). Sabah’s readings were mostly lower, with Kota Kinabalu at 34, Keningau (42) and Kimanis (49), all within the good range. Slightly higher readings were recoded in Sandakan (58) and Tawau (81). Under the API scale, 51 to 100 is moderate, while 101 to 200 is unhealthy. APIMS data showed PM2.5 as the dominant pollutant at the affected stations. PM2.5 refers to fine particles which could penetrate deep into the lungs and pose health risks.

o Govt, businesses and individuals to likely bear hidden costs: Economists

the root causes of haze and how environmental damage arising from it could be addressed and compensated. Meanwhile, economist Prof Dr Geoffrey Williams said the full cost of haze could not be captured by a single figure, as many losses were borne directly by individuals and businesses, and might not be visible in overall economic growth figures. “Despite the haze, the economy continues to grow, so it is the costs to individuals and businesses that we have to account for, which might not always be seen in aggregate.” He added that the haze could raise healthcare and household costs, cause productivity losses when workers missed work or schools closed, and hurt tourism if visitors had a poor experience. “Ultimately, individuals and businesses pay the costs, not the government. This is an economic externality, in which those responsible for the pollution do not bear its full costs. “In the long term, the costs are absorbed, in the short term we are all paying.”

government subsidies and treatment for haze related illnesses, should also be factored into any assessment of the economic impact. “When assessing the economic impact of haze-induced losses, all government expenditures related to haze mitigation efforts must be considered.” He also said healthcare expenditure was likely to account for the largest share of the costs, followed by losses in tourism and related business activities. Nanthakumar said the financial burden would ultimately fall on the government, making recurring haze a long-term economic concern for Malaysia. “Otherwise, Malaysia will have to deal with persistently elevated costs, leading to an ongoing economic burden and hindering the nation’s growth due to regional haze issues.” He added that greater cooperation with Indonesia was essential to address the recurring problem, while Asean should review the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and strengthen regional efforts to tackle haze. He also said greater clarity was needed on

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The economic damage caused by haze has no clear price tag, with much of the hidden cost being absorbed through higher healthcare bills, lost working time, childcare expenses and losses suffered by businesses, economists said. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia economist Prof Dr Nanthakumar Loganathan said calculating the precise financial cost of a severe haze episode was difficult, but its impact could be felt across tourism and related sectors, including food and beverage, transport and hotels. He added that healthcare costs, particularly Nanthakumar said greater cooperation with Indonesia was essential to address the recurring problem, while Asean should review the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and strengthen regional efforts to tackle haze. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

M’sia does not have legal route for compensation: Academic PETALING JAYA: The Asean

principle of responsibility and the practical ability to establish, enforce and obtain remedies against a specific polluter. “AATHP does not automatically give Malaysia the authority to enter another country, arrest foreign companies, close plantations or impose penalties on companies suspected of causing fires.” Safari said enforcement would depend on the laws and authorities of the country where the fires occurred, as well as cooperation between the affected and source countries. He added that the agreement focused on preventing and managing haze but did not provide a direct mechanism for Malaysia to seek compensation from a source country or foreign company for economic and health losses caused by the haze. “As a result, Malaysia would still face significant legal and evidentiary hurdles if it sought to recover the economic, health or other losses caused by transboundary haze.” He also said Malaysia could, in

He added that proving the causal link could be difficult as multiple fires could occur simultaneously, while authorities would also need to establish how smoke travelled across borders and contributed to specific health, economic or environmental losses. Safari said quantifying the damage was another challenge, as the impact of haze could extend beyond air-quality readings to healthcare costs, reduced productivity, transport and aviation disruptions, tourism losses, environmental damage and government response costs. He added that Malaysia also generally could not directly apply its domestic laws to activities or companies operating entirely within another country, making cooperation with the source country essential for investigations and access to land ownership, concession, company, fire and forensic information. “The main challenge is therefore not simply the absence of legal provisions, but the gap between the

coordinated response, rather than automatic compensation or direct enforcement against polluters. “Malaysia would need strong scientific and forensic evidence linking specific fires and pollution to a particular company, individual or source. “Authorities would also need to establish jurisdiction, ownership or control of the affected area, a clear causal link between the fire and damage suffered in Malaysia, as well as an effective mechanism to pursue and enforce any claim.” He also said one of the key challenges was identifying the party responsible, as satellite hotspot data could identify fire locations but did not necessarily establish who started, controlled or was legally responsible for the fires. “Malaysia must establish not only that the haze originated from outside the country, but also identify the party responsible for the fire and demonstrate how the fire caused specific damage in Malaysia.”

principle, take legal action against a foreign company suspected of causing a fire, but the arrival of haze in Malaysia alone would not be sufficient to establish liability. Safari said Malaysia would need to prove the source of the fire, the company’s connection to it, the conduct or negligence forming the basis of liability, the link between the fire and damage suffered in Malaysia, and the compensation sought. However, he said jurisdiction and enforcement in the country where the company or fire was located remained major obstacles. On making the “polluter pays” principle applicable to transboundary haze, Safari said Asean would need to strengthen the existing framework beyond prevention, monitoring and cooperation. He added that a stronger regional mechanism should establish a clearer process to attribute the pollution, determine liability, provide compensation and enforce claims. – By Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi

framework on transboundary haze may offer cooperation and prevention but it does not give Malaysia a straightforward legal route to claim compensation for the health, economic and environmental damage caused by haze from abroad. Universiti Teknologi Mara chemical engineering faculty lecturer Dr Safari Zainal said Malaysia would first have to establish a clear link between specific fires, those responsible and the damage suffered here before any compensation claim could be pursued. He added that potential parties that could be held responsible included companies or concession holders, individuals who caused fires and, in certain circumstances, governments of countries where the fires originated. However, Safari said the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) primarily provides for cooperation, monitoring, information sharing, prevention and