Haze in Malaysian capital as Singapore issues warning

Malaysia’s landmark Putra Perdana, the office of the Prime Minister, is shrouded with smog in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

DPA/Bangkok

Haze around the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur reached unhealthy levels yesterday as forest fires worsened in Indonesia’s Sumatra, a month after haze from fires on the island blanketed parts of Malaysia and Singapore.

 The air pollution index (API) in Kuala Lumpur reached 97, while in the nearby district of Port Klang it reached 103, the government’s Environment Department said.  An API of 100 to 200 is considered unhealthy, while 200 to 300 is very unhealthy and more than 300 is hazardous.

 Also yesterday, Singapore warned of an imminent pollution spike, saying satellite data showed “a marked increase in the number of hotspots in Sumatra,” referring to the heat signatures of apparent forest fires.  Ronnie Tay, head of the city-state’s National Environment Agency, had contacted Indonesian authorities and “sought an urgent update of Indonesia’s efforts to tackle the fires,” the agency said.

 He offered Singapore’s help, including data-gathering on the fires and the use of aircraft for cloud seeding.

 Jakarta assured Singapore that it was monitoring the situation and taking action to suppress the fires, the statement added.

 There Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency estimated there were 162 hotspots yesterday in Indonesia’s Riau province on Sumatra, spokesman Sutopo Nugoroho said.

 “Unfortunately the practice of open burning by the local people remains rampant despite our efforts to enforce the law and put out the fires,” he said.