KUALA LUMPUR: For individuals with respiratory issues and allergies, worsening outdoor air quality and hazy conditions pose significant challenges. More troublingly, international studies and observations have identified air pollutants as risk factors for various mental health conditions, prompting local experts to urge legislative action.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the fifth edition of the State of Global Air Report by the United States-based Health Effects Institute highlights air pollution as the second leading global risk factor for death, accounting for 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021. In Malaysia, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change data sheet for 2024 attributes approximately 19,100 deaths in 2021 to anthropogenic air pollution, primarily caused by human activities.
Sunway University’s Dr Amir Hamzah Abdul Latiff emphasized the intensifying health risks posed by climate change and rising temperatures, especially for children and those with respiratory and immune-related cond
itions. He called for urgent, climate-informed healthcare policies to protect vulnerable populations in Malaysia and across Asia.
Mental health practitioner Jolene Tan highlighted the psychological impacts of poor air quality, which can lead to isolation, depression, and anxiety. She noted that discomfort from haze, such as breathing issues and itchy eyes, can disrupt sleep and mood, contributing to mental health challenges. Dr Ooi Wee Liam from Monash University Malaysia added that polluted air affects brain regions controlling emotions, increasing the likelihood of anxiety and depression.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Heng Kiah Chun stressed the need for a Transboundary Haze Act to hold plantation companies accountable for forest burning. He also praised the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s report, which proposes a Clean Air Act to combat transboundary haze and air pollution.
Suhakam’s vice chairman, Tengku Mohamed Fauzi Tengku Abdul Hamid, outlined recommendations to amend Malaysia’s legal framework
to improve environmental justice and strengthen ASEAN’s transboundary haze agreement. CERAH Malaysia’s Kiu Jia Yaw supported these initiatives, advocating for ASEAN countries to enact domestic legislation holding companies accountable for air pollution.
Kiu also noted Indonesia’s 2023 actions against companies involved in forest fires, some of which are subsidiaries of Malaysian companies, underscoring the need for accountability and sustainability measures.