{
  "id": 13357279,
  "title": "Malaysia must make haze polluters pay — Shahrul Mizan Ismail",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/malaysia-must-make-haze-polluters-pay-shahrul-mizan-ismail",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-10T07:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2026/10/10/malaysia-must-make-haze-polluters-pay-shahrul-mizan-ismail/238557"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia must hold polluters responsible for haze, says expert. In a statement on September 30, the Department of Environment attributed Malaysia's haze to forests in Kalimantan and central and southern Sumatra, with unhealthy air quality reported in Kuala Lumpur. This points to a transboundary source but does not establish the guilt of any specific company. To build a strong case, Malaysia should gather evidence identifying landowners, their actions, and whether their conduct caused the pollution reaching Malaysia. The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution provides a legal basis for demanding action, but Malaysia should also invoke international law, such as the duty of due diligence from the 2010 Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay case. Domestic legislation should follow, with a transboundary haze law modeled after Singapore's approach, which criminalizes and civilly punishes overseas conduct causing or contributing to haze pollution in Singapore. Penalties should be substantial enough to deter corporations, and liability should extend to those responsible for harmful operations. A permanent investigative team should be established to gather evidence and seek justice, as Singapore has done with Indonesian companies in the past.",
  "summary": "OCTOBER 10 — A government that tells people to stay indoors while pollution crosses its borders owes them more tha...",
  "key_points": [
    "Malaysia must hold polluters accountable for haze, says expert.",
    "Transboundary haze pollution requires legal action under Asean Agreement.",
    "Singapore's model law could deter corporations with substantial penalties."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}