Haze From Indonesian Fires Threatens Malaysia's National Day Celebrations

Malaysia's government said it may scale back or postpone National Day celebrations (Aug. 31) if smoke drifting from Indonesian forest and peatland fires persists, after Swiss air-quality monitors ranked Kuala Lumpur the world's second-most polluted major city. Indonesia stepped up its aerial firefighting response as the region approaches the historical August-September peak of its haze season — rated 'Red,' the highest risk level since 2023, in the Singapore Institute of International Affairs' 2026 outlook — driven by the intensifying El Niño's drier conditions across Sumatra and Kalimantan.