Malaysian government calls for regional cooperation against haze

Malaysian government on Friday called for regional cooperation against the hazardous air that shrouds the part of its country and Singapore recently. "It is important that ASEAN nations work together in a spirit of co-operation to tackle this problem," said an official statement. Five areas recorded "Very Unhealthy" air quality by Friday evening, according to the Department of Environment, as the southern part of Malaysia was among the worst hit by the annual haze, largely attributed to the smoke from forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia brought by the southwestern monsoon winds. At least several hundred schools were temporarily shut down due to health concerns. Malaysian government said Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel will travel to Indonesia and meet Indonesian government officials to discuss ways to address the issue. Meanwhile, the government also urged Malaysian-owned companies operating in Indonesia to abide by all local laws and regulations, ensuring "not contributing to environmental degradation."