Post by fishyahoo on Aug 11, 2005 14:37:35 GMT 8
KUALA LUMPUR (AFX) - Malaysia declared a state of emergency today as the air pollution index soared to extremely hazardous levels on the west coast, which has been worst-hit by smoke from fires in Sumatra, an official said.
'We are now in a state of emergency,' a National Security Council official told Agence France-Presse after the environment department said the air pollution index had reached 529 in Port Klang and 531 in Kuala Selangor.
The government said that 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 will 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 the index recorded 364.
The opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) said Malaysians are 'furious and worried' about the pollution and added it will stage a protest at the Indonesian embassy 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 are meaningless unless they are 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 will take a softly-softly approach, in order not to damage the fragile relationship with its neighbor.
'We cannot. In the interests of neighbourly relations, we must sit down and discuss and consult. This is the common interest,' he said, adding that crisis talks between ministers from both sides would begin in Jakarta tomorrow.
'We have no other alternative, we cannot go into an open conflict, that will not be good for the region. That will not be good in terms of our relationship. So that is not the way that Malaysia will adopt,' he said at a news conference.
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.
Kuala Lumpur's second airport at Subang was closed late yesterday as visibility fell to less than 300 meters and contingency plans have been made in case the country's main airport has to shut.
The Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia was badly affected, forcing a major port facility to suspend operations yesterday, although a slight easing in conditions allowed them to resume later that night, officials said.
Meteorology Department senior forecaster Kamil Ibrahim said the conditions are expected to persist for the next few days, but that there could be a brief respite next week as the winds coming from Sumatra shift.
However, Indonesian officials have warned that the fires, started illegally to clear land on Sumatra and Kalimantan, will worsen in coming weeks.
Note last sentence... it's only going to get WORST!!!
when u are outside !!! 
