Free Roadmap-MalayMail-Oct 9
The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has pressed for decisive, measurable regional action from ASEAN to eliminate transboundary haze, warning that recurring pollution inflicts severe damage on public health, worker safety, and economic productivity. The industrial group issued the appeal as severe haze blanketed the country, with Department of Environment (DOE) data recording 38 out of 68 national monitoring stations in the unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) bracket this morning, led by Seremban at 186. In a statement today, FMM president Jacob Lee Chor Kok stressed that industrial and economic expansion must not come at the expense of environmental sustainability. “Clean air is not a luxury. It is a fundamental requirement for public health, economic productivity and sustainable development,” the statement said. The federation said that persistent haze triggers widespread workforce absenteeism, disrupts open-air logistics and factory schedules, and escalates operating overheads through mandatory purchases of protective equipment and industrial air filtration. While acknowledging existing regional frameworks, including the 2003 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution and the Asean Haze-Free Roadmap 2023-2030, FMM stressed that member states must shift from diplomatic consensus to rapid, verifiable execution.
Regionally, FMM called on the ASEAN Secretariat to publish regular public scorecards tracking progress against haze reduction targets, enforcement milestones, and fund mobilization. Domestically, the federation urged the federal government to leverage Budget 2027 to expand tax allowances and matching grants for industrial green technologies, pollution abatement, and SME investments in workplace air quality monitoring. “A haze-free ASEAN must become a measurable achievement, not merely a recurring aspiration,” the statement said. Read more at:
