Malaysia Closes Schools Amid Indonesian Haze, Faces Pressure on Corporate Accountability
Malaysia has mandated school closures in several states due to haze originating from Indonesia, leading civil society groups to demand greater accountability from Malaysian corporate interests linked to forest fires abroad.
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According to the South China Morning Post, Malaysia has issued orders for schools to cease operations across multiple states, including Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and the Rompin district in Pahang, while also resulting in the cancellation of weekend sporting events. These closures come as recurring haze from Indonesia continues to disrupt daily life and education, prompting renewed pressure on Malaysia to regulate its domestic companies regarding alleged connections to overseas forest fires, despite ongoing regional initiatives to address the issue.
Environmental monitoring organizations, specifically Greenpeace and Pantau Gambut, have released findings that suggest connections between corporate interests in Malaysia and Singapore and fire hotspots within Indonesia's Kalimantan. These findings have amplified demands for the government in Putrajaya to take action against companies associated with fires outside of Malaysia, rather than depending solely on regional cooperation that has not yet prevented the recurring haze crises.
On Wednesday, Greenpeace Malaysia and various civil society organizations participated in a march to parliament, advocating for the implementation of more robust legislation to investigate companies that have contributed to the persistent haze crisis caused by fires.
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