Regional haze crisis best handled via ASEAN channels, says Mohamad Hasan
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the transboundary haze crisis should be addressed through ASEAN’s diplomatic channels rather than unilateral action.
Source: Free Malaysia Today · August 22, 2026 at 2:35 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 22 AUGUST 2026 —
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the transboundary haze crisis should be addressed through ASEAN’s diplomatic channels rather than unilateral action.
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Speaking to reporters in Bandar Seri Begawan, he said ASEAN remains the most appropriate forum for multilateral issues among member states. The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry will send a formal letter to the ASEAN Secretariat, while NRES Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup will write to his Indonesian counterpart, according to Bernama.
“We believe ASEAN is the best mechanism for addressing problems among member countries,” Mohamad said.
Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Brunei, Aini Atan, said the haze would be among topics when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meets Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah today during the 27th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation. She said the issue was of mutual concern to both countries.
In Sarawak, 10 monitoring stations recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings as of 8am, with Serian at 190. Other locations included Kuching (181), Samarahan (177), Sri Aman (174), Sarikei (172), Sibu (160), Bintulu (157), Mukah (156), Samalaju (156) and Miri (152). Two stations, ILP Miri and Limbang, registered moderate readings of 89 and 77 respectively, according to the Borneo Post.