Researching Malaysia
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haze
Health Impacts of Haze from Indonesia Pt. 1
The haze from the Indonesian fires continues its hazardous pass through Malaysia and Singapore, causing alarm and frustration from impacted residents. Walking around Singapore has been a crazy experience as the visible haze feels dystopian compared to Singapore's usual hyper cleanliness. I wanted to deep dive into the known health impacts and what exactly to expect from exposure in this series.
PSI/API Index and PM2.5
Both Singapore and Malaysia use a pollutant index to warn citizens on the risks of air pollution. Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and Malaysia's Air Pollutant Index (API) both calculate a number of air pollutants and translate the impacts to a 0 to 500+ scale. Both denote unhealthy levels starting at 101, very unhealthy above 200, and hazardous above 300. Malaysia declares a Haze Emergency Declaration at 500. Singapore peaked this year at 164 while some regions in Malaysia saw numbers as high as 476 to 520 such as Serian, Sarawak.
While the two systems have slightly different ways of calculating the index, both measure PM2.5 among others air pollutants. PM2.5 calculates the amount of fine atmospheric particulate matter at or below 2.5 micrometers in the air. This is the most relevant group of pollutants to track as it measures the chemicals related to the haze stemming from Indonesia's smouldering peatland fires. PM10 similarly measures particulate matter, but larger at or below 10 micrometers. PM2.5 is more toxic and harmful due to its smaller size, making them more likely to be absorbed in the bloodstream and more chemically active due to the greater surface area.
This 2017 study found the chemical makeup from haze is dominantly Organic Carbon (OC) with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toxic heavy metals like Cadmium, Nickel, Lead, and Chromium. The latter two categories make up a much smaller portion of the haze and while repeated exposure is not good, it is less of a concern than OC which dominates the mix.
What may be more alarming is this haze is categorized as aged smoke vs raw smoke, chemically altered by UV exposure from the days the smoke took to travel to the impacted areas. As this paper examines this could lead the chemicals in the haze to cause more oxidative stress on the system, though not all studies align to this conclusion.
Known Health Impacts - Respiratory and Cardiovascular
I will deep dive into this a bit more in a subsequent post, but the tldr is there are limited long-term health studies that can give us good evidence on repeated exposure and cancers or cardiovascular disease.
What is clear are the short term impacts. Haze exposure even in the moderate zone can lead to respiratory infections and illnesses. In Malaysia, where the haze is more severe, higher unhealthy zones can lead to respiratory fatalities. This study in the Klang Valley found that haze days were associated with a 19% rise in natural-cause respiratory mortality overall, and higher among specific groups: roughly 30% for children under 14 and about 30% for men on the day of exposure. Effects persisted a day or two after.
Singapore is not safe from haze related fatalities though. While haze effects are less and of shorter duration, moderate to unhealthy levels can still lead to greater cardiovascular issues like heart attack and stroke. That's why Singapore warns citizens to avoid rigorous exercise during unhealthy haze periods, especially if you have underlying pre-existing issues.
Created: Oct 22, 2026
malaysia
HAZE in Malaysia
As the haze gets worse, I find myself wondering if this is one of the worst ones we've had since the 2019 or even 2015 El Nino fires.
Excerpts from News Article from South China Post
Fire emissions from Indonesia from September 1 to September 7 reached 19.7 million metric tons.
Emissions were 273% higher than the seasonal average, though still lower than the 21.7 million tons emitted in the same week of 2015.
Today we are at API 170-180+ range, and the fires in Kalimantan don't seem to be stopping anytime soon.
While looking it up, it was interesting to read that -
While El Niño events explain most of the year-on-year variation in fire, the creation of new districts increases fire and exacerbates the El Niño impacts on fire.
There are two plausible and related explanations for this finding: (a) districts use fire to create economic opportunity and grow the local economy, and (b) economic growth increases residents’ and local firms capacity to move, acquire land, and burn further.
I also found this recent review paper that outlined Malaysia's current air quality monitoring system, and more. Though given that our haze crises mostly stem from Indonesian forest fires, improving our own laws and infrastructure seems to be a bit helpless in this case, with the AATHP acting 'non-existent' once again, becoming a never-ending problem.
2019 | Ryan B. Edwards, Rosamond L. Naylor, Matthew M. Higgins | World Development | (2019)
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Created: Sep 16, 2026
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human trafficking
Online scam operators use human trafficking victims?
I was reading up on human trafficking in the region, and I came across this UN report.
I had obviously known about scam operators (in Malaysia and the region), but didn't realise scammers used trafficked victims to run their operations.
Excerpts from the report are pretty horrifying:
... people are primarily recruited to these operations ... through what appear to be legitimate and even elaborate procedures
... On arrival [to the host country], migrants are ... watched over by security guards who are often heavily armed.
... individuals are subjected to the threat or use of force ... in some cases are unable even to move between different floors of the compound ... Reports have also been received of people being chained to their desk.
... Reports commonly describe people being subjected to ... beatings, humiliation, electrocution and solitary confinement, especially if they resist orders or disobey compound rules or if they do not meet expected scamming targets.
... Reports have also been received of sexual violence, including gang rape as well as trafficking into the sex sector, most usually as punishment, for example for failing to meet their targets.
... The traffickers hold an ever-increasing debt over the migrants – claimed to be for costs such as for travel, quarantine on arrival, training and living costs, and performance related fines ... This is a situation of debt-bondage.
... people have attempted escape, including by jumping off the compound buildings or swimming across rivers (for example, from Myanmar to Thailand or Cambodia to Viet Nam), however these attempts often end unsuccessfully, either with death or severe punishment upon recapture.
The report doesn't single out Malaysia specifically, and the above is a regional assessment.
But thought this is of interest, since Malaysia is known to be a "hub" of sorts for scamming operations (and victims).
Created: Oct 6, 2026
public health
Cigarettes getting cheaper in Malaysia?
A comparison of food prices vs cigarette prices in Malaysia, since 2015. By think tank SERI.
Adjusting for inflation, food prices have still gotten more expensive, while cigarettes have actually gotten cheaper.
A public health concern.
Link to the full policy brief: 88e7d5f7-2a68-480e-964e-1a708287b613.filesusr.com
Created: Oct 3, 2026
malaysia
Politics of transboundary haze in Southeast Asia
Seasonal haze has gone on for decades. I'm interested in digging into the politics of haze
Why has Indonesia not been able to stop illegal forest burning? Why has regional pressure not worked?
Here's one paper to start with, that found:
The study reveals a significant electoral cycle (a repeated pattern linked to elections) in forest fires. Both the number of ignitions and the area burned decline during election years. They then increase steeply in the year after elections. The authors argue that politicians may suppress forest burning when it could damage their electoral chances. After elections, those incentives weaken, allowing more burning for land conversion.
I find this somewhat encouraging -- as it suggests that forest burning can be reduced, when political incentives align.
The challenge is how to align incentives more permanently -- beyond the narrow pre-election period.
2021 | Clare Balboni, Robin Burgess, Anton Heil | AEA Papers and Proceedings | (2021)
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Created: Sep 20, 2026
ai
New research on teen lonelines in Malaysia
Interesting new study by Tan Heang-Lee and Farah Nabilah (ISIS Malaysia): Lonely by design.
It covers a unique angle, examining possible relationships between AI companions and loneliness:
This research note examines how social media and AI companions may deepen loneliness among Malaysian adolescents by replacing meaningful connection with performance, comparison, and low-risk artificial companionship. It highlights the links between loneliness, mental health, social development, and broader social cohesion, and calls for safer technology and stronger opportunities for in-person belonging.
(from the credo summary)
I've heard a lot about social media and mental health effects, but not about AI companion use.
We need to be getting ahead of this technology use and it's impact on children (and society generally), so good to see this research.
The study makes recommendations including:
enforcing provisions on manipulative design features, extending school recess and providing green spaces in neighbourhoods.
(from the report executive summary)
I believe the researchers are going to conduct follow up, primary research -- so watch their space!
Created: Sep 15, 2026