Charles Santiago
Protection from the peat and forest fire smoke haze cannot stop at telling people in Malaysia to wear masks.
Outdoor workers can spend eight hours or more exposed to polluted air. Delivery riders, construction workers and traffic personnel cannot simply stay indoors.
So who is responsible for protecting them?
Malaysia needs clear thresholds for reducing or suspending outdoor work during severe haze. It also needs mandatory workplace risk assessments, suitable respirators and alternative duties for when exposure becomes unsafe.
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Other countries already use air-quality thresholds to guide workplace precautions. Malaysia should translate its own guidelines into clear, enforceable action.
Retail listings show that a 20-piece box of N95 masks can cost around RM40–50, while some branded 20-piece options cost around RM57–60.
That is a significant expense for workers who may need protection throughout a prolonged haze episode.
The government should negotiate bulk procurement and ensure affordable, quality-certified N95 masks.
Employers must cover the cost of protection required for workplace exposure.
Malaysia needs stronger coordination between the health, labour, environment and trade ministries under its National Haze Action Plan.
Malaysia is also a party to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. It must therefore strengthen regional monitoring, information-sharing and enforcement. Commitments must translate into coordinated action at home.
Malaysian companies with investments in Kalimantan should voluntarily disclose their concession areas and relevant subsidiaries.
The government should cross-check these disclosures against fire hotspots and land records. It should also investigate credible links to fires and publish its findings.
We cannot keep asking the public to bear the health costs of haze without investigating who is contributing to it.
Charles Santiago is a prominent Malaysian politician, economist and human rights advocate who served three terms as the MP for Klang and has twice chaired the National Water Services Commission.
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