Anwar mobilizes Asean response as haze crisis deepens across region

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reached out to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to galvanize Asean-wide efforts in tackling the recurring haze problem affecting the region, according to reports on Tuesday.

The diplomatic outreach underscores growing concern over transboundary air pollution, which continues to pose significant health and environmental challenges across Southeast Asia. The engagement aims to forge stronger collective action among regional nations to address the issue systematically.

Meanwhile, Malaysia has escalated its cloud-seeding initiatives amid deteriorating air quality conditions. As of 3 p.m. local time, 38 locations across the country recorded unhealthy air quality index readings, prompting authorities to intensify weather modification operations to induce rainfall and suppress airborne particulate matter.

The dual-pronged approach reflects Malaysia's commitment to both immediate operational measures and longer-term regional cooperation. Officials have indicated that sustained coordination with neighboring countries remains essential to mitigate the transboundary nature of seasonal haze events.