As findings of the ill-effects generated by the 'Asian Brown Cloud' a 3km thick blanket of pollution covering South Asian countries attracts international attention, the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) appears to be slow in reacting to the issue.

A United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) press release on Monday said preliminary results from the study by 200 scientists working with the body has indicated that the haze could have an adverse impact on global climate.

However, when asked if the haze situation in Malaysia could be as bad as those in other South Asian countries, DOE control division director Lee Heng Keng declined to comment.

"I cannot comment because I have not seen the (UNEP official) report," he said when contacted.

Lee added that he would instruct his officers to contact the regional UNEP office in Bangkok, Thailand regarding the matter.

A copy of the < a href=http://www.rrcap.unep.org/abc/impactstudy > full report

is also available on the Internet.

According to the press release by UNEP executive director Klaus Toepler, the 'Asian Brown Cloud' is caused by of forest fires, burning of agricultural waste, dramatic increase in the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and industries as well as the emissions from 'bio-fuels' such as inefficient cookers burning wood and cow dung.

The UN body also revealed that the haze could put hundreds of thousands of people in danger from deadly floods and droughts while wrecking the agricultural sector and changing rainfall patterns.

UNEP warned that while this study focused on the effects in South Asia, the haze problem is comparable, if not more severe in Southeast Asia and East Asia.

Hotspots increased

Since the past few days, many parts of Malaysia have been reportedly enveloped in a thick cloud of haze which local officials attribute to the forest fires and clearing activities in neighbouring Indonesia.

The New Straits Times today quoted DOE director-general Rosnani Ibrahim as saying that the haze was caused by open burning to clear land for farming as the number of hotspots detected in Sumatra and Kalimantan have increased over the past week.

"Replanting always takes place this time of the year in Indonesia. We have told our Indonesian counterparts to keep the burning under control," she said.

Rosnani also revealed that the latest satellite data showed 60 hotspots in Sumatra and 786 in Kalimantan as of yesterday.

This was an additional eight hotspots in Sumatra and 448 in Kalimantan since Aug 5, as reported by the Asean Specialised Meteoreological Centre in Singapore, said the daily.

Meanwhile, Lee who also helms DOE's Air Quality Unit said since the burning is occurring in Indonesia, the only thing Malaysian authorities could do is curb certain activities which can aggravate the haze here.

Another DOE official told

malaysiakini later that the Air Pollution Index (API) reading for most parts in Malaysia was 'moderate'.

The official, who declined to be named, said Port Klang in Selangor, Kuching, Samarahan and Kapit in Sarawak were registered as 'unhealthy'.