Malaysia under haze emergency

Published: 6:43PM Thursday August 11, 2005 Source: AAP

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Malaysia has declared a state of emergency as the air pollution index soared  to extremely hazardous levels on the west coast.
  
The area is the worst-hit by smoke from fires from Indonesia, an official said.
  
"We are now in a state of emergency," a National Security Council official said after the environment department announced that the index had reached 529 in the shipping centre of Port Klang and 531 in the coastal town of Kuala Selangor.
  
The government said yesterday levels above 500 would trigger a state of emergency.
  
The National Security Council official said that although only the two west coast locations had exceeded 500, the measures would extend to the whole of the Klang valley in which the capital Kuala Lumpur sits.
  
They will include closing schools, advising citizens to stay indoors or wear masks outside, and even beginning rain-seeding in an effort to wash away the dust and smoke hanging in the air.
  
In Kuala Lumpur the index reached 321, shrouding the city in a yellowish mist and making the tops of buildings disappear. In the administrative capital of Putrajaya which lies further towards the coast the index recorded 364.
  
The opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) said Malaysians were "furious and worried" about the pollution and that it would mount a protest at the Indonesian embassy on tomorrow as well as a public rally on Sunday.
  
"As the source of haze is in Sumatra, Malaysians are powerless to do anything to fight this threat to their and our children's health and safety unless Indonesia is serious about taking action," said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
  
Lim said that recent apologies from Indonesian leaders were meaningless unless they were followed up by concrete action to douse the fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and prevent them from recurring.
  
"Malaysians want an explanation why the Indonesian government cannot stop the haze from becoming a tragic annual event," he said.
  
But Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar indicated Malaysia would take a softly-softly approach, in order not to damage the fragile relationship with its neighbour.
  
Hundreds of schools in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding districts were ordered to close until Monday because of the worsening haze, which is causing a spike in asthma attacks and respiratory conditions.

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