PETALING JAYA: Southeast Asians should not have to endure recurring haze while waiting for the monsoon to clear the air, says G25 Malaysia.
The civil society group urged Asean governments to take firmer action against those responsible for forest and land fires, including making them pay for the damage caused.
“Haze should not be accepted as inevitable,” it said in a statement on Sunday (Oct 11).
G25 said the problem had persisted despite decades of regional cooperation and repeated government pledges, raising questions about whether those commitments were being put into practice.
“What is needed now is not simply further commitments, but stronger implementation, clearer accountability and measurable improvements on the ground,” it said.
The group said haze was more than an environmental inconvenience, threatening public health, disrupting schooling and economic activity, and leaving governments and businesses to bear the costs.
Children, older people and those vulnerable to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses were particularly at risk, it added.
“Governments must treat haze prevention as an investment in public health, and not simply as an environmental obligation,” it said.
G25 called for stronger enforcement against illegal burning, with investigations and, where appropriate, prosecution of those responsible.
It also urged governments to share hotspot data, air-quality readings and enforcement results promptly, and publish regular updates so the public could track action taken.
Preparations should continue throughout the year, including protecting peatlands, improving land management and strengthening firefighting capacity.
The group also proposed that each member state set a budget spending target for environmental management and report both allocations and actual expenditure to the Asean Secretariat.
It said existing agreements and the region’s Haze-Free Roadmap 2023–2030 must produce tangible progress towards ending transboundary haze.
G25 stressed that its appeal was not aimed at any particular country, but called for all member states to tackle pollution originating within their borders.
“Respect for sovereignty must go hand in hand with accountability for transboundary environmental damage,” it said.
The group also urged civil society organisations across Asean to push for greater transparency and action to prevent recurring haze.
