Malaysia lifts emergency as haze abates

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia lifted a state of emergency in two areas near the capital on Saturday after air pollution levels fell well below the danger mark, easing the country's worst pollution crisis in eight years.

Officials said changing winds have helped lift the smog which has shrouded central Malaysia for a week, dispersing the haze into the northern part of the country.

The sky over Kuala Lumpur was clear for the first time in days and the weather bureau predicted weekend rains to further wash away the haze that has threatened public health.

"We expect rains and thunderstorms this afternoon and in the next few days in and around Kuala Lumpur," a weather official told Reuters. "This will help clear the haze." The National Security Council said pollution readings were well below the 500-level mark which had triggered the emergency on Thursday in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang, the country's biggest port, following choking smoke from forest fires in Indonesia.

Air pollution readings improved further by midday on Saturday, the Department of Environment said.

Only 12 places in the country registered a reading classed in the category of "unhealthy" and most of them were in the northern states of Penang and Perak, it said.

A reading of 101-200 on the Air Pollutant Index (API) is classed as "unhealthy", 201-300 "very unhealthy" and 300 and above "hazardous".

The latest reading put Kuala Lumpur at 103, Port Klang at 105 and Kuala Selangor at 117, it said.

Under the emergency, the government can order the closure of state and private-sector offices, except for essential services, such as clinics and hospitals. It can also limit the use of private vehicles and ban open bonfires.

The haze moved toward northern Malaysia, but levels were not as bad as they were earlier in the week.

Visibility near an airport in Penang, a major tourist spot and a hub for electronics firms in Malaysia, dropped to 500m on Saturday from 2km on Friday.

An aviation official said the airport would be shut if visibility dropped to below 300m. Most of Penang's electronics exports are shipped by air to buyers, mainly in the United States, Japan and Taiwan.

In the past week, the haze has sent asthma attacks soaring, forced hundreds of schools to close, grounded some flights and disrupted shipping.

Malaysia's New Straits Times said on Saturday that as many as seven people might have died from haze-related illness, such as breathing difficulties.

But Malaysia's top health official Ismail Merican told the paper that it was too early to blame the deaths on the haze.

- REUTERS