KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel will meet his Indonesian counterpart tomorrow about the haze and propose Malaysia’s offer to do cloud seeding in the country as the Air Pollutant Index (API) reached 487 this morning in Port Klang.
Levels above 300 are deemed “hazardous.” The smog was classed as “very unhealthy,” in parts of Perak and Selangor, which surrounds the capital, as the haze drifts northwards.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak declared an emergency in parts of Johor on June 23 after the API hit levels around 750. Schools in Johor, Kuala Lumpur and other affected areas were closed yesterday and people advised to stay indoors. Pollution improved to between moderate and unhealthy yesterday in Johor, which borders Singapore.
The Pollutant Standards Index in Singapore itself stood at 82 at 5pm yesterday, which is within the moderate range, the National Environment Agency said on its website.
There are 17 timber firms and 15 oil palm firms, including Singapore-listed Wilmar International Ltd, Kuala Lumpur-based Sime Darby Bhd and Singapore-based Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd, with land in areas affected by fires, T. Nirarta Samadhi, an Indonesian government spokesman, said on June 21, citing data from the non-government World Resources Institute. Wilmar and Sime Darby have told Bloomberg they have a zero-burning policy.
Indonesian police arrested two farmers yesterday for illegally starting fires to clear land, Reuters reported online, citing a police spokesman.
There had been contradictory statements made by Indonesian ministers and officials on whether Singapore-linked companies were engaged in illegal land clearing practices in Indonesia, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong said in an e-mailed statement sent by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
Chee requested that the Indonesian government clarify the statements or share evidence relating to any involvement by Singapore-linked companies, the ministry said in the statement.
Two MAS flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan were cancelled on June 23 due to the haze, Azmi Murad, senior general manager of operations at Malaysia Airports Bhd, said by phone yesterday, when operations were normal, he said. There were no flight cancellations at AirAsia Bhd., the budget carrier said in an e-mailed response to questions yesterday.
Three international-level sports events may be postponed if the haze doesn’t improve, including a five-day cycling tour, the Star reported on its website, citing the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Malaysia reported its worst case of haze in 1997 when the pollution reading reached 839 in Kuching, Sarawak, prompting the government to impose a 10-day emergency, according to the Star yesterday. In Peninsular Malaysia an emergency was declared in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang near the capital in 2005 when the pollution index breached 500, the Star reported. — Bloomberg
