| Malaysian officials have ordered schools closed and | | | | conducive efforts to put out the fires because in |
| advised people to stay indoors or wear masks | | | | a technical sense it is very difficult to put out the |
| outside while a fog-like yellow haze envelopes the | | | | fires," he said. |
| capital, Kuala Lumpur, and surrounding areas. | | | | Indonesia's rainy season is not expected to begin |
| Government officials say they will begin seeding | | | | until October, and during the dry season, fires |
| clouds in an attempt to cause rain and wash | | | | spread easily. |
| away the dust and smoke from the air. | | | | Mr. Rachmat says there are several reasons for |
| The smoke from hundreds of out-of-control fires | | | | the yearly fires, the majority of them man-made |
| has drifted over to Malaysia from Indonesia's | | | | - with farmers, plantation owners, and miners |
| nearby Sumatra Island, which lies west of the | | | | burning land to clear the forest during the dry |
| Malaysian mainland. | | | | season in both Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands. |
| The smoke, a mixture of ash, dust, carbon | | | | Malaysian companies also own large tracts of palm |
| dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, has caused Malaysia's | | | | oil plantations in Sumatra. "First of all there's |
| pollution index to rise above the 500 level, which is | | | | spontaneous [fires] in the woods itself. Secondly, |
| considered extremely hazardous to health, in two | | | | the majority are in the plantations, and by the |
| west coast towns. | | | | local population who are clearing land, because this |
| Pollution levels in Kuala Lumpur have reached 321, | | | | is the dry season so some of them get out of |
| with the tops of buildings disappearing in the | | | | hand," said Mr. Rachmat. |
| yellow haze. An environment ministry statement | | | | Mr. Rachmat said Indonesia regrets being the |
| said the air quality in the capital and several other | | | | cause of Malaysia's troubles. "I mean this is |
| cities was "unhealthy." | | | | certainly not intentional and we regret that this |
| Indonesia's Environment Minister, Rachmat | | | | happens. We have full empathy of the Malaysian |
| Witoelar, said Malaysian and Indonesian officials are | | | | population who are suffering from the effects of |
| holding crisis meetings in the north Sumatran | | | | these fires," he said. |
| capital of Medan to discuss ways to contain the | | | | Malaysia rushed a team of firefighters to |
| fires, but he says it will not be an easy task. "I'm | | | | Indonesia during a similar crisis in 1997 when large |
| not saying that we can combat easily because | | | | parts of Malaysia and Southeast Asia were |
| the dry season is continuing as of now. I mean | | | | covered in haze from smoke from fires in |
| we need a wetter climate for us to effect | | | | neighboring Indonesia. |