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View all search resultsPressure intensifies on Indonesia as regional haze worsens
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A child and mother wearing face masks ride a motorcycle on Saturday through thick haze from forest and land fires in the region in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. Toxic haze has shrouded parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Kalimantan and Sumatra, with the smoke drifting across the region. (AFP/Reina)
T
he government is under pressure to tighten its crackdown on polluters and accept more international assistance in putting out forest and peatland fires, as transboundary haze continues to choke the region.
The raging fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra hit a critical phase this year, resulting in toxic smog that blankets neighboring countries including Malaysia and Singapore.
On Sunday, the Malaysian environment department reported unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and 12 other locations, or about one-fifth of all monitored regions across the country.
Johor, Malaysia’s second most populous state, announced a week-long closure of all schools and educational institutions starting on Monday, citing rising public health risks.
In neighboring Singapore, air quality readings were also recorded at unhealthy levels on Sunday, with the city-state mulling suspending classes and national examinations if pollution reaches the “hazardous” level.
Singapore announced a nationwide rollout of a haze subsidy scheme (HSS) effective on Oct. 13 following an uptick in emergency room visits, offering eligible residents with medical expenses of no more than S$10 (US$7.82) to receive haze-related treatment.
Around 60,000 joint personnel have been deployed to battle wildfires across six provinces prioritized for aerial firefighting and weather modification operations in Indonesia: South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.
