Haze is a common phenomenon afflicting Southeast Asia (SEA), including Malaysia, and has occurred almost every year within the last few decades. Haze is associated with high level of air pollutants; it reduces visibility and affects human health in the affected SEA countries. This manuscript aims to review the potential origin, chemical compositions, impacts and mitigation strategies of haze in Malaysia. "Slash and burn" agricultural activities, deforestation and oil palm plantations on peat areas, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia were identified as the contributing factors to high intensity combustions that results in transboundary haze in Malaysia. During the southwest monsoon (June to September), the equatorial SEA region experiences a dry season and thus an elevated number of fire events. The prevailing southerly and south-westerly winds allow the cross-boundary transportation of pollutants from the burning areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, to Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo, respectively. The dry periods caused by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) prolong the duration of poor air quality. The size range of particulate matter (PM) in haze samples indicates that haze is dominated by fine particles. Secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA, such as SO42-and NH4+) and organic substances (such as levoglucosan, LG) were the main composition of PM during haze episodes. Local vehicular emissions and industrial activities also contribute to the amount of pollutants and can introduce toxic material such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Haze episodes have contributed to increasing hospital visits for treatments related to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, upper respiratory infections, asthma and rhinitis. Respiratory mortality increased 19% due to haze episodes. Children and senior citizens are more likely to suffer the health impacts of haze. The inpatient cost alone from haze episodes was estimated at around USD 91,000 per year in Malaysia. Almost all economic sectors also experienced losses, with the heaviest losses in the agriculture and tourism sectors. This review suggests several ways forward to reduce haze episodes in SEA and Malaysia. These include economic approaches, research collaborations and science-policy interface. Improving forecasting capabilities can help reduce response time to burning events and subsequently reduce its impacts. Lastly, commitment and involvement by individuals, government agencies, and the entrepreneurial private sectors are crucial to reduce biomass burning (BB) and haze episodes in SEA.

The world is currently going through the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in just a few months. Considering the need for lockdown measures, most countries, including Malaysia, have implemented 'Movement Control Orders' (MCOs) as a prevention step to reduce the deadly spread of this disease. Local and worldwide media have reported the immediate improvement of air quality due to this event. Nevertheless, data on the effects of MCOs on air quality at local scales are still sparse. Here, we investigate changes in air quality during the MCO at an urban area using the air sensor network AiRBOXSense which measures monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10). In this study, air pollutant data during normal days were compared with MCO days using a reference analyser and AiRBOXSense. The results showed that the levels of the measured pollutants dropped by ~20 to 60% during the MCO days at most locations. However, CO in Kota Damansara (KD) dropped to 48.7%, but PM 2.5 and PM 10 increased up to 60% and 9.7% respectively during MCO days. Local burning activities in the residential area of KD are believed to be the main cause of the increased PM levels. This study has proven that air pollutant levels have significantly fallen due to the MCO. This air quality level information showed that the reduction of air pollutants can be achieved if traffic and industry emissions are strictly controlled.

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Urban air quality has been deteriorating over time. Pollutant distribution levels in the urban environment may be associated with anthropogenic sources and meteorological conditions. The aim of this study is to determine the variation in concentrations of major air pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O 3), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), sulphur dioxide (SO 2) and particulate matter (PM 10), with corresponding seasonal variation in a Malaysian urban environment. Eleven years of data from four selected stations, namely Klang (S1), Petaling Jaya (S2), Shah Alam (S3) and Cheras (S4), were analysed for temporal trend variations (yearly and monthly). Statistical analysis using Openair, an R package open source software, has been conducted to assess pollutants in relation to meteorological conditions. Gas concentrations showed little variation between the study sites apart from NO 2 , which recorded its highest concentrations at an industrial site, between 23 and 40 ppb, and is associated with industrial and vehicle emissions. Pollutants that show seasonal variations and frequently exceed the Malaysia Ambient Air Quality Standard (MAAQS) and the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) are O 3 and PM 10 , predominantly related to the monsoon seasons. High levels of O 3 during the northeast monsoon (January-March) are associated with high levels of the precursors of O 3. The concentration of PM 10 associated with tropical biomass burning during southwest monsoon. Shipping emissions and power stations are main contributors for higher level of SO 2. This study shows regional and local factors contribute to the different type of air pollutant concentrations in urban environment.