Malaysia to Press ASEAN on Transboundary Haze Before Manila Summit

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said he will personally bring the region's transboundary haze problem to a meeting with his ASEAN counterparts, ahead of the bloc's 49th summit in Manila next month. He told reporters that while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has mechanisms for handling natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions, haze is not covered by them. His comments were relayed by his office.

The push follows weeks of thick smoke across parts of Southeast Asia, caused by forest and land fires that have burned for months in Indonesia. Air pollution in several Malaysian states reached unhealthy levels last week, prompting authorities to close schools. Singapore has also been affected by the haze.

The fires, concentrated mainly on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo, are the country's most intense in 11 years. Malaysia has previously offered Indonesia assistance to combat the blazes.

Mohamad said fire-fighting efforts in many areas have been hampered by poor visibility, accessibility problems and conditions unsuitable for cloud seeding. He attributed that assessment to his discussions with Indonesia's foreign minister.

The Philippines, which chairs ASEAN, did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation that the haze issue would be placed on the summit agenda. The regional gathering in Manila is scheduled for next month.