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Malaysia has sent letter to Indonesia over transboundary haze issue
He said the letter had been sent to his counterpart in Indonesia following instructions from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday (Oct 3) to coordinate with his counterparts in Asean to resolve the transborder haze issue.
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Tourists wearing masks pass by Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on January 31, 2020. (REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng)
M
alaysia has sent a letter to Indonesia with regard to cooperation under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, says Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
He said the letter had been sent to his counterpart in Indonesia following instructions from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday (Oct 3) to coordinate with his counterparts in Asean to resolve the transborder haze issue.
"I have sent a letter to Indonesia. Yesterday the Prime Minister had instructed the ministry to coordinate this haze problem.
"Following the instruction, I sent a letter to my counterpart in Indonesia," he was quoted by The Star after attending the International Green Technology and Eco Products Malaysia (IGEM) Exhibition and Conference, in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (Oct 4).
The Malaysian Air Pollution Index Management System (APIMS) website operated by the Environment Department reported that as of this afternoon, the air quality in Sri Aman was at an unhealthy level of 138, while in Serian Sarawak it was 113.
An API reading of zero to 50 indicates that the air quality is good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy; and above 300, hazardous.
Malaysia said last week fires in neighbouring Indonesia were causing the pollution although Indonesia has denied detecting any smoke drifting over its borders intoMalaysia.
The Malaysian department said earlier on Monday a regional meteorological agency had detected nearly 250 "hotspots", indicating fires, on Sumatra island and in its part of Kalimantan island, with none in Malaysia.
Efforts to clear the air with rain by seeding clouds and other measures to cope with the pollution would come into effect when API readings reached 150 for more than 24 hours, Wan Abdul Latiff.
