Malaysia moves PM's National Day address indoors as hazardous haze forces venue shift

Malaysia has shifted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's National Day address from Kuala Lumpur's historic Merdeka Square to an indoor convention centre in Putrajaya as hazardous air quality forced authorities to abandon the traditional outdoor format.

The communications ministry announced the venue change for the August 30 speech, originally scheduled at the open-air square where Malaysia declared independence, after Kuala Lumpur briefly topped global pollution rankings late Thursday. By Friday morning, the capital registered an air quality index of 169, making it the world's second-most polluted city after Delhi, according to IQAir monitoring.

Fires in Indonesia drive pollution

The haze blanketing Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs stems primarily from forest fires burning across Kalimantan and Sumatra in neighbouring Indonesia, where authorities are investigating those responsible for the blazes. Indonesian police have arrested 72 people in connection with the fires.

Officials have yet to decide whether the traditional Independence Day parade, normally held on the morning of August 31 at Merdeka Square, can proceed outdoors. The meteorological department warned Thursday that haze would persist in the capital through National Day.

Regional crisis extends to Borneo

The pollution crisis extends beyond the peninsula. Kuching city in Sarawak state, on the Malaysian portion of Borneo island, has also previously ranked as having the world's most polluted air as smoke drifts across from Kalimantan. The meteorological department cautioned that air quality in Sarawak could deteriorate to very unhealthy levels through August 31.

Anwar has sought regional cooperation through Association of Southeast Asian Nations mechanisms to address the cross-border pollution. Arthur Joseph Kurup, minister of natural resources and the environment, has previously stated that Indonesia granted Malaysia permission to cross into its border airspace to conduct cloud-seeding operations.

The venue switch underscores how severely the transboundary haze threatens public gatherings during one of Malaysia's most significant national occasions.

Source: South China Morning Post