Haze has darkened the skies across Southeast Asia for decades. While the smoke keeps returning, our response to it has changed over the years. From investigating and collecting evidence of corporations linked to transboundary haze, and challenging the banks financing forest destruction, and pushing for stronger laws, to mobilising public pressure, demanding corporate accountability, and recognition of a healthy environment as a human right not just in Malaysia but at the ASEAN level.

This timeline looks back at the moments that helped turn haze from a recurring crisis into a wider fight for clean air and environmental justice. Follow the journey through investigations, creative resistance, people-powered action, and policy breakthroughs, to see what changed, who helped change it, and why the fight for haze-free air is far from over.

In June, we sent the an open letter to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), with demands on how to address haze issue once and for all. Now our NRES minister is talking about monitoring the situation, having discussions to increase efforts, and old tactics like cloud seeding operations to patch the symptoms of a persistent problem rather than addressing it at its roots or figuring out long-term measures to stop what’s affecting all of us.

So we took a stand outside of the Indonesian Embassy on Sept 4, in solidarity with all who have been and continue to be affected by haze, while demanding for transparency and accountability. We are asking for the Indonesian government to expose corporations linked to haze; and if they’re Malaysian companies operating through subsidiaries abroad?

We’re asking the Malaysian government for systemic enforcement through a Clean Air Act with transboundary haze mechanisms that can give our government the power legally hold corporations, linked to activities resulting in haze, responsible for their operations both in and out of Malaysia.

Clean Air for Malaysia

Year after year, haze returns to Malaysia. Act now, because we shouldn’t have to accept this as a norm.

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Haze and Human Rights Activity in Malaysia. © Darshen Chelliah / Greenpeace
Clean Air for Malaysia

Air pollution and haze is a silent and indiscriminate killer, affecting all of us. Sign the petition calling for our government to take action for clean air today.

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