Haze Returns To 'Envelope' Malaysia

By Zulkiple Ibrahim KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- Recently, Malaysian civil servant Hazeman Hassan, near here, told his wife not to allow their four-year-old son to play outdoors. "If possible, you too should not spend too much time outside the house as the air outside is unhealthy," he reminded his wife. Last June 16, Malaysia was shrouded in haze as a result of forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia, leading to unhealthy levels of pollution in some parts of the country. According to the Department of Environment (DOE), the Air Pollutant Index (API) last Sunday had showed the reading of over 100 in four locations in the Peninsula. Melaka state was badly hit by haze, with the API reading of 161, followed by Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan at 120, Kemaman in Terengganu (108) and Port Klang in Selangor (103). Last Sunday, six other locations recorded API levels of less than 100. HAZE What is haze all about? According to environmentalists, haze is a phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles in the atmosphere diminish visibility. According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, haze occurs every year during the monsoon season from May to September as winds blow smoke across the Melaka Straits, from 'hot spots' in Sumatra to Malaysia. According to the DOE Director-General Halimah Hassan, the department had detected 46 hotspots in Sumatra via satellite images last Sunday. API of 101-200 is considered unhealthy, while 51-100 is moderate. If the reading is below 50, it means that the air is healthy. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has advised the public to reduce the time spent outdoors. He also urged the public to drink plenty of water. The Prime Minister wrote on his Facebook page that health should remain the public's top priority, adding that the haze situation in Malaysia is expected to become worse in the coming days with winds carrying smoke from hot spots in Sumatra, Indonesia, to Malaysia. OPEN BURNING Haze, caused by fires in Indonesia, builds up during the dry season, affecting tourism and contributing to health problems across the region. Malaysia has regulations against open burning while Indonesia has forbidden people from burning land. Between 1997 and 1998, Southeast Asia was badly hit by haze. During that time, the tourism sector, including air travel, and other business activities were affected. Countries in the region lost approximately US$9.0 billion (RM28.5 billion) because of the disruptions. Medical authorities have also advised people in the high risk group such as the elderly, children and those with respiratory problems such as asthma to stay indoors and to wear face masks when outdoors. Physicians have advised people who have breathing difficulties, fever, nausea, dizziness, eye irritation or cough to seek medical attention. Meanwhile, the Malaysian Marine Police has advised fishermen in small boats to refrain from going out to sea as visibility in the Straits of Melaka is poor. According to the Marine Police, "All vessels plying the Melaka Straits should take precautions and navigate with utmost care, while fishing trawlers must switch on their lights for their own safety and for the safety of other vessels." --BERNAMA