Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will deliver the National Day speech on August 30, 2026, indoors at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) instead of the usual outdoor venue at Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square because of severe haze caused by cross-border wildfires in Indonesia [1, 2, 3].
Kuala Lumpur recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 169 in late August, ranking among the worst globally, while Putrajaya recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings around 155 [1, 4, 5]. The haze, originating mainly from fires in Indonesian Kalimantan and Sumatra, has affected key Malaysian areas including Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Sarawak's Kuching as winds carry the smoke across borders [1, 3, 4, 5].
The Communications Ministry said relocating the speech indoors is a "responsible measure to ensure the event is held in a more controlled and comfortable environment," affirming it will not affect the programme or spirit of the 2026 National Day celebrations [2].
Decisions on whether to hold the traditional open-air National Day parade on August 31 at Merdeka Square will await final assessments by the Health Ministry, Meteorological Department, and Environment Department [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil noted that Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar will decide after consultations with multiple ministries and agencies [4, 6, 5, 7].
Preparations for National Day Eve programs involving 1,500 school students are also under review to ensure health safety due to the haze; ongoing air quality monitoring will guide final decisions [4, 5].
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Malaysians to pray for the haze to ease so National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations on September 16 can proceed smoothly, saying, "We pray to Allah that the haze will be brought under control so that the celebrations can be held" [8, 4, 6, 5, 7].
Malaysia is pursuing diplomatic efforts via ASEAN to address the haze and is conducting cloud-seeding operations with Indonesia's permission to reduce smoke levels [1, 3, 5]. The government has expressed readiness to support Indonesia in extinguishing the forest and peatland fires fueling the crisis [4, 5].
The haze is expected to persist at least through August 31, until open burning in neighboring countries is contained [1, 5]. The National Day speech indoors at PICC on August 30 is confirmed, with the parade decision expected shortly based on health advisories [1, 2].
