Kuala lumpur: The transboundary haze issue, affecting several Southeast Asian countries, was notably absent from the official agenda of the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) and Related Meetings. However, member states' health ministers have engaged in informal discussions regarding the haze on the sidelines of the meeting.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad mentioned that while the haze issue was not formally addressed during the AHMM, it might be considered in future senior officers' meetings. "We are engaging in side discussions among our ministers. This topic will continue to be discussed, and perhaps, in our subsequent meeting, the senior officers' meeting can carry this through. But as an agenda, unfortunately, we are not there," Dzulkefly stated during a press conference following the launch of ASHA 2026-2030.

Despite the absence of the haze issue from the formal agenda, Dzulkefly suggested it could be tackled within the framework of existing health clusters. When questioned about potential bilateral discussions with Indonesia concerning the haze, Dzulkefly responded, "We raised it, but we must follow through again."

Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Minister and spokesman for the MADANI Government, indicated that Malaysia awaits confirmation from Indonesian authorities before deploying resources to assist in combating forest fires responsible for the transboundary haze.