Haze feared to affect ships

Haze feared to affect ships

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Marine police have warned all ships plying
the busy Malacca Straits to be alert for haze after visibility
dropped to about two nautical miles, a news report said Saturday.

Deputy commanding officer Ghazali Haron said that conditions
have sharply worsened over the past two days along the waters
near the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which has been affected by
hundreds of blazes set by farmers and loggers using fire to clear
land.

"It is dangerous for those without proper navigational
facilities to sail, while those fully equipped have to be on the
alert," Ghazali was quoted as saying by The Star daily.

He added that marine police have begun patrolling the waters
to ensure that no illegal immigrants sneak into the country
during the haze.

Ghazali could not be reached immediately for comment on the
report.

Over the past decade, Malaysia has periodically been blanketed
by huge clouds of smog caused by fires across the Indonesian
archipelago. In 1997, the smog paralyzed the region for months,
threatening the health of millions of people in most of Southeast
Asia.