KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia --Malaysia's leader declared an emergency in two
regions Thursday, closing workplaces and calling on mosques to hold special
prayers for rain to rid the country of hazardous haze drifting from forest fires
in neighboring Indonesia.
The haze has shrouded Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas for more than a week in
a pall of noxious fumes, smelling of ash and coal, in the country's worst
environmental crisis since 1997.
The source of the haze is Indonesia's Sumatra Island, where farmers, plantation
owners and miners have set hundreds of fires in the forests to clear land during
dry weather. Winds blow most of the fumes across the narrow Strait of Malacca to
Malaysia, although parts of Indonesia are also affected.
The fires are an annual occurrence, and Malaysian officials have expressed
frustration over Indonesia's failure to tackle the problem. Indonesia's forestry
minister, Malam Sambat Kaban, countered Thursday that 10 Malaysian firms
clearing land in Indonesia had contributed to the fires.
The two countries did agree Thursday to use cloud seeding to try to induce rain
over Sumatra to stop the burning of the forests.
The smoke has blown over the western coast of Malaysia, shrouding its biggest
city, Kuala Lumpur, its capital, Putrajaya, the technology city Cyberjaya and
the biggest port district, Port Klang.
"In my office, things look normal, but if I go down to the building's lobby
area, I can smell smoke. Even in the basement car park I can smell smoke," said
Liew Cow Yuan, a consultant with the DHL Express Global Data Center in Cyberjaya.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi declared a state of emergency in Port Klang
and in Kuala Selangor, a tourist area known for its fireflies, after the air
pollution index topped 500 -- the emergency level.
The index measures harmful particles in the air, and Thursday was the first time
the 500-level has been passed in Malaysia. A reading of above 300 is considered
hazardous.
Under the emergency rules, Port Klang, the country's biggest and busiest harbor,
will be shut down. All educational institutions and government and private
workplaces will also be closed, including factories, construction sites and
quarries.
However, supermarkets, shops selling food and drinks, pharmacies and essential
services will remain open. Road work will be suspended and the use of personal
cars and trucks will be discouraged.
Four other areas, including the financial capital Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,
had air pollution levels above 300. Schools in and around Kuala Lumpur were
closed Thursday and Friday.
But people went to work Thursday, many wearing surgical masks that offered
little protection from the noxious air. Landmarks in Kuala Lumpur, such as the
tops of the Petronas Twin Towers vanished in the haze. Acrid smoke seeped into
office air-conditioning systems.
"The air is so bad that my eyes are stinging," said Gerard Miranda, a
31-year-old shopper. "I had breathing difficulties when I was outside this
building, probably because I've a sinus problem that is being aggravated by the
haze."
The prime minister urged people to seek divine help to overcome the crisis and
called on mosques to hold special prayers for rain that would wash away the
haze.
"This is my approach. When such things happen, we must also pray to God to seek
help," Abdullah told reporters.
Malaysia rushed firefighters to Indonesia during a similar crisis in 1997-98,
which caused large parts of Malaysia and Singapore to be enveloped in haze.
Economic losses across the region then were estimated at $9.3 billion.
Travel agents said the haze would have minimal impact on tourism because key
destinations such as Langkawi and Penang in northern Malaysia were not affected.
"So far we have not received any cancellations and it's peak tourist season
right now," said Meloni Stevens, an agent dealing mostly with European tourists.
However, Malaysia's benchmark stock index slipped 0.4 percent Thursday amid
worries that prolonged haze could undercut palm oil exports, tourism and other
economic sectors.
The Meteorology Department said no respite was expected until October, when
rains would help wash away the haze, a mixture of dust, ash, sulfur dioxide and
carbon dioxide.