Fishermen worry over haze

Fishermen worry over haze

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Authorities have so far denied reports of a growing haze, but many Malaysian fishermen refuse to risk their lives and are staying ashore, news reports said Saturday.

The fishermen are worried that poor visibility at sea will cause them to ram each other's boats, Tan Seng Bu, chairman of the Parit Jawa Fishermen's Association, was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

"We expect worsening conditions due to the prevailing wind which will bring the haze in from Sumatra," Tan was quoted as saying.

Visibility in the Malacca Strait, which separates peninsular Malaysia from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is now about two nautical miles during the day, the New Straits Times reported.

A gray pall has hung over the skyline of Kuala Lumpur, the capital, for several days, keeping some residents indoors for fear of health problems.

Science, Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding insisted earlier this week that the air quality in Malaysia was still "good." But the meteorological department has refused to release air pollution figures.

The environment ministry of Singapore, just south of Malaysia, said earlier this week that it had detected over 90 hot spots in central Sumatra. Hot spots are areas where the temperature is abnormally high, generally indicating a fire.