March to Parliament calls for stronger transboundary haze measures

Civil society and environmental groups marched to Parliament on Wednesday, urging the Malaysian government to introduce specific legislation to address transboundary haze and hold Malaysian-linked corporations accountable for environmental harm committed overseas.

Organised by Greenpeace Malaysia and Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia (HARAM), together with Zero Waste Malaysia, KUASA and other groups, the peaceful march began at Tugu Negara before proceeding to the gates of Parliament.

The coalition submitted a dossier documenting alleged links between regional forest fires and corporate concessions to eight Members of Parliament. The groups said Malaysia needed stronger legal powers to investigate companies operating across borders where activities abroad could contribute to pollution affecting Malaysians.

Groups demand legal powers to probe overseas fires

Campaigners are calling for extraterritorial provisions that would give Malaysian authorities clearer powers to investigate overseas operations, obtain admissible evidence and pursue enforcement action against companies suspected of unlawful burning.

The demand comes as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) evaluates possible statutory mechanisms to address cross-border pollution. A multi-agency special committee is reviewing existing regulatory frameworks, while the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for faster progress towards a Clean Air Act to strengthen protections for public health and environmental justice.

The campaign has gained urgency following weeks of deteriorating air quality in parts of Malaysia. The Department of Environment has attributed current haze conditions to widespread hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre has also identified more than 500 hotspots across the two Indonesian regions, contributing to moderate transboundary haze affecting parts of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Malaysian Borneo.

Corporate sector responds to fire monitoring data

The march followed findings by Greenpeace and Pantau Gambut, which mapped 5,540 smoke-source points in Indonesia between August and September 2026.

Their analysis identified several concessions with corporate links to Malaysia and Singapore, including Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK) through its Indonesian affiliate PT Menteng Jaya Sawit Perdana.

KLK rejected allegations that it was responsible for the fires, saying the incidents originated outside the boundaries of its concession and were promptly extinguished.

The company also reaffirmed its commitment to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and said it maintains a strict zero-burning policy. KLK added that there was no active replanting on the mature concession and that it conducts satellite monitoring, drone surveillance and ground patrols.

Campaigners acknowledged that the presence of satellite-detected hotspots does not, by itself, establish corporate culpability. They said this highlighted the need for a dedicated Transboundary Haze Pollution Act that would allow authorities to establish liability through proper cross-border investigations and evidence gathering.