Haze enveloping parts of Malaysia due to forest fires in Indonesia is expected to persist until early next year but is unlikely to worsen, a minister said today.

Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding said the haze was more serious this year in Sarawak state on Borneo island and parts of neighbouring Sabah but "not so bad" on peninsula Malaysia.

He said satellite surveys over the past few days showed there were still some 100-140 hotspots in Indonesia's Kalimantan province on Borneo but these had eased on Sumatra island.

Law said it was fortunate for Malaysia that the El-Nino phenomenon, characterised by prolonged dry weather, was "mild and moderate" this year.

"The threat of haze is still there depending on the weather. The wind direction is starting to change now from southwest to the northeast and we are suppose to get more rain now," he told reporters.

Unhealthy levels

Air pollution in two districts in Sarawak state hit unhealthy levels last week sparking fears of a repeat of the 1997 smog crisis that enveloped parts of Southeast Asia but Law said this was "not likely."

"But based on the information we have, this (haze) will persist in the next few months until early next year," he added.

Southeast Asia has been battling the haze problem annually since 1997 when parts of the region were blanketed for months, causing serious health problems and economic losses estimated at RM35 billion.

Although this year's haze is less serious than in 1997-98, Indonesia is still under pressure to act amid complaints from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Law said a plan to bring a team of Malaysian experts to west Kalimantan last week to develop a framework to tackle forest fires was postponed at Indonesia's request due to insufficient helicopters.

It would now take place after the visit of Indonesian Environment Minister Nabiel Makarim to Kuala Lumpur on Oct 7-8 to discuss the haze issue and to explore joint cooperation, he added.

Illegal loggers

The two ministers last met on the sidelines of the UN Earth Summit in Johannesburg last month, where Law voiced Malaysia's concern over fresh fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra blamed on illegal loggers and farmers.

Hundreds of Indonesian schools have been closed, flights disrupted and many residents of Borneo and Sumatra islands have donned masks before venturing out, as pollution hit dangerous levels in some provinces. AFP