Sarawak lost $297m per day

Sarawak lost $297m per day

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia's smog-hit state of Sarawak lost 100 million ringgit (US$29.7 million) a day during last month's 10-day state of emergency, the New Straits Times said on Monday.

The losses were suffered by the private and public sectors, the government and individuals, the newspaper quoted Sarawak's Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud as saying.

He did not provide details.

The state of emergency in Sarawak, on the Malaysian side of Borneo island, northern part of Kalimantan was declared on Sept.19 when smog from burning forests in neighboring Indonesia reduced visibility to a few metres.

The emergency forced the closure of schools and businesses except those considered critical services. It was lifted on September 28