Enact Clean Air Act to tackle recurring haze crisis, says Suhakam

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged the government to enact a Clean Air Act to set legally binding air quality standards and protect public health.

Suhakam said access to clean air was a fundamental human right, warning that recurring transboundary haze threatens the right to life, health, education and safe working conditions.

It noted that haze had reached hazardous levels in parts of Sarawak, forcing school closures and exposing communities to dangerous fine particulate matter.

Vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, outdoor workers, and low-income communities, face the highest health risks with limited protection, it said.

Suhakam also called for legal amendments to grant individuals locus standi to bring environmental litigation in the public interest, and demanded full enforcement of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

Regionally, it called for stronger action under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution to boost transparency, monitoring and cross-border enforcement.

It said haze was a man-made crisis driven by unsustainable land use, requiring structural legal reforms rather than reactive measures.