RI's haze shrouded Malaysia

RI's haze shrouded Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): Smoke from Indonesian forest fires shrouded much of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, forcing many residents to stay indoors.

Other parts of the country have experienced very poor air quality over the past several days, health officials said.

Teng Hock Nan, who heads a committee on environment and traffic management, said the Air Pollution Index reached "unhealthy" levels and visibility dropped as low as 1 kilometer, compared to normal levels of 10 kilometers, The Star daily reported.

Malaysia's meteorological department is refusing to release air pollution figures since government officials said publicizing the pollution index could drive away tourists.

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 Southeast Asia.

Fires in Indonesia, often set by logging and plantation companies as an inexpensive but illegal way of clearing land, have become an annual problem during the dry season in Southeast Asia.