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.