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Malaysia’s latest haze cost RM8b in welfare losses, may have led to 1,700 deaths, report finds

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Malaysia’s recent haze episode carried an estimated RM8 billion in welfare losses, while short-term exposure to fine particles from fires may have...

Malay MailMilad Hassandarvish2026-10-29 07:00查看原文 ↗

报告显示，马来西亚最近一次雾霾造成80亿令吉的福利损失，并可能导致1700人死亡。

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 — Malaysia’s recent haze episode carried an estimated RM8 billion in welfare losses, while short-term exposure to fine particles from fires may have contributed to about 1,700 deaths, according to a report commissioned by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).

The report valued the health burden of estimated premature deaths at between RM3 billion and RM15 billion, using standard benefit-transfer methods.

It said this represents what people would be willing to pay to avoid the risk of premature death — not lost economic output — and should not be added to other economic losses.

The haze also disrupted manufacturers indirectly through staff absences and school closures.

Among 59 sites reporting some operational impact in FMM’s survey, 81 per cent said they experienced more sick leave or health-related absence, while 63 per cent said school closures affected staff availability.

The report also highlighted that, at 14 per cent of affected sites, staff shortages disrupted shifts, production or deliveries.

Overall, 37 per cent of sites reporting an impact said output fell, and 27 per cent temporarily shut down at least one operation.

The survey received responses from 86 FMM member sites, including 81 manufacturers.

More than two-thirds reported some operational impact, while 26 per cent said disruption was moderate or significant. The report cautioned that the survey was not representative of all manufacturers; most responses came from Selangor and Penang, and only two came from Sarawak.

School closures during the haze affected an estimated 8.4 million to 13.4 million student-days, the report said. It did not assign a monetary value to any loss in teaching quality.

FMM president Jacob Lee Chor Kok said the haze should no longer be viewed exclusively as an environmental issue but also a matter of public health, labour productivity, economic sustainability and regional competitiveness.

“Manufacturing industries are increasingly interconnected through regional and global supply chains. Environmental disruptions in one country can affect economic activities and business operations across national boundaries.

“Preventing haze is therefore not only an environmental responsibility but also an investment in economic resilience, sustainable industrial development and the wellbeing of future generations,” he added.

The report also estimated 1,700 deaths related to the haze, with a 95 per cent interval of about 1,300 to 2,300, which covers the period from July 1 to Oct 22.

About 1,600 were attributed to smoke from fires outside Malaysia, the report said.

The report stressed that the figures are statistical estimates of deaths brought forward across the population, not individually identified cases.

If fire smoke is assumed to be no more toxic than other fine particles, the estimated toll falls to about 600.

The main estimate also carries uncertainty because the health-risk study used did not include Malaysian cities and was based mostly on forest fires rather than peat fires.

The research paper, titled “The 2026 Fire Season and Transboundary Haze in Malaysia,” covers the period from 1 July to 22 October 2026. It draws on satellite observations, air-quality monitoring, atmospheric modelling and findings from FMM’s member survey to assess the sources, severity and consequences of prolonged haze exposure.

The study was undertaken by Piyu Ke, Chief Scientist of Carbon Spur Sdn Bhd.

The study combined multiple scientific approaches to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the haze problem, including the cumulative effects of prolonged pollution exposure rather than focusing solely on peak air pollution readings.

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吉隆坡，10 月 29 日——马来西亚制造商联合会 (FMM) 委托撰写的一份报告显示，马来西亚最近的雾霾事件估计造成了 80 亿令吉的福利损失，而短期接触火灾产生的细颗粒物可能导致约 1700 人死亡。

该报告采用标准福利转移方法，估算出过早死亡造成的健康负担在 30 亿至 150 亿令吉之间。

报告称，这代表人们愿意为避免过早死亡的风险而支付的金额，而不是经济产出的损失，因此不应计入其他经济损失。

雾霾还通过员工缺勤和学校停课间接影响了制造商的生产。

在 FMM 的调查中，59 个报告运营受到影响的地点中，81% 表示他们经历了更多的病假或与健康相关的缺勤，而 63% 表示学校关闭影响了员工的可用性。

该报告还强调，在受影响的 14% 的地点，人员短缺扰乱了轮班、生产或交付。

总体而言，37% 的报告受到影响的站点表示产量下降，27% 的站点暂时关闭了至少一项业务。

该调查收到了来自 86 个 FMM 成员网站的回复，其中包括 81 家制造商。

超过三分之二的受访者表示运营受到一定程度的影响，其中26%的受访者表示中断程度中等或严重。报告提醒，此次调查结果并不代表所有制造商的情况；大多数受访者来自雪兰莪州和槟城州，只有两份来自砂拉越州。