Johor opposition leader urges Indonesia to name firms behind transboundary haze, calls for Haze Act

Johor opposition leader Andrew Chen is pressing Indonesian authorities to name the companies, including Malaysian-linked firms, behind the transboundary haze affecting southern Malaysia. The smoke comes from slash-and-burn clearing of forests and carbon-rich peatlands for palm oil and pulp, and Chen is treating it as a public health issue, not just an environmental one. He is also calling for Malaysia to pass a Transboundary Haze Act that would give federal and state governments legal tools to hold companies accountable when their operations contribute to haze and harm health. The push follows a letter from Johor's chief minister to Indonesia's consulate about unhealthy air quality readings in Johor Baru and nearby areas. For anyone tracking carbon markets or climate policy, the story matters because peatland drainage and burning are a major source of emissions, and the accountability gap across borders is exactly where regional climate rules tend to break down.