{
  "id": 7013238,
  "title": "Asean needs stronger political will, accountability to tackle haze",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/asean-needs-stronger-political-will-accountability-to-tackle-haze",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T23:01:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/09/1531462/asean-needs-stronger-political-will-accountability-tackle-haze"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution requires stronger political commitment, quicker regional responses, and increased accountability to overcome the recurring issue of haze, according to experts. Dr Tunku Mohar Tunku Mokhtar, a political science lecturer from International Islamic University Malaysia, noted that the agreement's main weakness is its reliance on national measures, which may not be effective when the pollution originates from government or government-linked entities. He proposed alternative mechanisms such as joint emergency responses and regional coordination, which have yet to yield results. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim acknowledged the need for improvement in the Asean mechanism due to the impact of transboundary haze on public health, suggesting that Asean ministers should review the mechanism. Dr Tunku Mohar pointed out that Asean's consensus-based decision-making can hinder reforms, leading to rhetoric of unity but no tangible action. The principle of non-interference, while protecting national sovereignty, should not prevent Asean from addressing a cross-border environmental problem. Dr Shahidah Abdul Razak, a senior political science lecturer from Universiti Teknologi Mara, emphasized the importance of early intervention, faster information-sharing, and closer coordination between agencies. Haze is often caused by a combination of economic interests, land-clearing practices, enforcement challenges, and weather conditions, particularly during prolonged dry weather on peatland. Detecting a fire and preventing it from spreading are two different tasks, and when smoke crosses borders and affects neighboring countries, it becomes a shared responsibility. Dr Shahidah stressed that Asean must ensure information from its regional mechanisms translates into concrete actions, including identifying responsible parties and improving transparency around land ownership and control. Ultimately, progress should be measured by the reduction in fires and haze episodes, rather than the number of meetings held.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution needs stronger political commitment, faster regional responses and greater accountability if the region is to break the cycle of recurring haze, experts said.",
  "key_points": [
    "Asean needs stronger political will to tackle haze.",
    "Increased accountability required for effective regional responses.",
    "Consensus-based decision-making hinders reforms."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Asean's inability to effectively tackle haze stems from its consensus-driven decision-making and reliance on national measures, which hinders reforms and tangible action, experts say, requiring stronger political commitment and accountability.",
  "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."
}