Malaysia Haze attack

                 Indonesia says sorry for haze in Malaysia, Singapore


The Indonesian government apologised for the haze in 

Malaysia and Singapore that was caused by forest and 

peatland fires in Sumatra, according to President Susilo 

Bambang Yudhoyono.

“As the president, I apologise for what has happened and 

hope for understanding from our friends in Singapore and 

Malaysia. For sure, what has taken place is not on purpose,” 

he told reporters yesterday.

As of today, Indonesian areas affected by fires such as Riau, 

Jambi and Bengkulu have been declared as districts under 

disaster emergency. Authorities have also deployed all the 

manpower it can muster to combat the calamity.Yudhoyono also promised that Indonesia would put out 

every fire in Sumatra with the help of cloud-seeding planes 

and fire-fighting personnel including those from the armed 

forces.

Moreover, the President also reprimanded several 

Indonesian government officials for revealing the names of 

plantation companies that allegedly started the fires.“From what I monitor daily, there were statements made by 

some officials which according to me should not have been 

delivered as such,” he noted.

“Even if the companies were negligent, it is not necessary to 

name them. Or the fact that they are owned by our 

neighbouring countries. What is more important now is to 

focus on overcoming the fire disaster that has dragged on 

for a week,” he added.

As of yesterday, visibility in Kuala Lumpur remained poor due 

to the haze. The government also suspended classes in the 

capital and in Selangor. In contrast, air quality in Singapore 

improved thanks to a change in the wind direction.