Who will defend our right to clean air?谁来捍卫我们享有清洁空气的权利？
As Indonesian fires once again choke parts of Malaysia, decades of regional agreements have yet to deliver the protection people deserve.
Sadly familiar picture: The muddy image on the left was taken from an aircraft as it flew over an industrial site in Kuching covered in thick haze last week. Singapore has not escaped – the image below is of a shrouded central district last week. — Photos: AFP
IN 2015, several hundred Malaysian students had to be evacuated from Indonesia’s Riau province after the Air Pollutant Index (API) hit a catastrophic 1,000. Many fell sick with sore throats, fever, flu, and cough. The Indonesian government declared a state of emergency, and the Malaysian government brought the students back.
Fast forward 11 years later, Malaysia and neighbouring countries are still suffering from this infamous Indonesian export. This time, open burning in Kalimantan is the main culprit, exacerbated by drought conditions from a “super” El Nino weather cycle.
merga@thestar.com.my
Thank you for your report!
Beyond the classroom walls
Beyond its lightscapes, George Town Festival 2026 highlights the power of community
Mainland China stepping up preparations for Taiwan blockade, report says
令人遗憾的是，这幅景象似曾相识：左图是上周一架飞机飞越古晋一处工业区时拍摄的，当时该地区被浓雾笼罩。新加坡也未能幸免——下图是上周笼罩在雾霾中的市中心区域。——图片：法新社
2015年，印尼廖内省空气污染指数（API）飙升至灾难性的1000，数百名马来西亚学生被迫撤离。许多学生出现咽喉痛、发烧、流感和咳嗽等症状。印尼政府宣布进入紧急状态，马来西亚政府随后接回了这些学生。
时隔11年，马来西亚及其邻国仍在遭受这种臭名昭著的印尼“出口”垃圾的困扰。这一次，罪魁祸首是加里曼丹的露天焚烧，而“超级”厄尔尼诺现象带来的干旱更是加剧了这一问题。
merga@thestar.com.my
感谢您的报告！
走出教室的围墙
除了灯光秀之外，2026年乔治城艺术节还突显了社区的力量
报道称，中国大陆正在加紧准备封锁台湾。