Indonesia’s neighbors powerless as smoke from monthlong wildfires shuts schools

The KL Tower and other buildings shrouded by haze in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 21. Schools in neighboring Singapore have been closed and respiratory complaints have been skyrocketing, but existing legal frameworks offer little recourse to tackles transboundary air pollution. | AFP-Jiji

AFP-Jiji

Oct 1, 2026

Kuala Lumpur – Haze from Indonesian wildfires has blanketed neighboring Malaysia and Singapore for more than a month, closing schools and sending respiratory complaints skyrocketing.

It is not the first time Indonesian haze has caused a regional pollution crisis, but neighboring countries have few options for legal recourse, experts say.

Suggestions that Malaysia and Singapore take Indonesia to the U.N.’s highest judicial organ, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, face a basic obstacle.

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