S'pore, Malaysia hit by haze

S'pore, Malaysia hit by haze

SINGAPORE (AP): Smoke from Indonesian brush fires pushed
Singapore's air pollution index right up to the unhealthy range,
and cut visibility in Malaysia's capital as well, officials said.

The foul-smelling smoke cast a white pall over Singapore's
normally clear blue sky and reduced visibility.

The city-state's Environment Ministry said the Pollutant
Standards Index hit 100 at noon, but slipped back down to 69
three hours later. A level above 100 is considered bad for the
health.

Though visibility was down in Kuala Lumpur, "Generally,
everything is still all right," Rosnani Ibrahim, director general
of Malaysia's Department of Environment, told The Associated
Press. The pollution index there was between 50 and 100 late
Friday morning.

Fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and Kalimantan have
become an annual problem during Southeast Asia's dry season. It
is widely believed that Indonesian plantation owners use burning
as a cheap but illegal way to clear land.