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.