The government, concerned about detrimental effects of haze news on tourism, has sought to counter bad press by providing assurances that the environmental situation in the country as a whole is improving.

"The haze is not as bad as reported... I was in Santiago (Chile) two days ago and haze is a permanent problem there. But nobody talks about it, and not the international press," Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister S Sothinathan told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Sothinathan ( left ) said signs of improvement are showing in parts of Klang Valley and Manjung in northern Perak, which yesterday was classified as 'unhealthy' on the air quality scale. Manjung improved to 'moderate' today.

Satellite figures also showed that the number of 'hotspots' or burning areas have dropped from 254 such locations in Sumatra on Monday to 33 yesterday, the minister said.

However, two hotspots have cropped up in Sarawak - in Sibu and Samarahan - while 40 hotspots have showed up in Kalimantan.

Authorities have pin-pointed the haze currently enveloping the western parts of peninsular Malaysia as originating from burning areas in Sumatra, where south-westerly monsoon winds is said to be blowing pollution and debris particles over to our western coast.

But improvements are far from uniform.

Shah Alam and Port Klang remained in the 'unhealthy' category, while air pollution in southern parts of the peninsular have deteriorated, particularly Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor.

API under wraps

The Department of Environment (DOE) currently defines air quality along five broad categories: 'good', 'moderate', 'unhealthy', 'very unhealthy' and 'hazardous', as opposed to precise Air Pollution Index (API) figures.

An API index of between 0 to 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'moderate', 101 to 200 'unhealthy', 201 to 300 'very unhealthy' and above 300 'hazardous'.

In 1997, the government placed an administrative gag on API figures due to apparent concern that such information would only fuel controversy.

Sothinathan told reporters this morning that information related to the haze must be relayed "with care" as it may affect tourism figures. Tourism is the country's second-biggest money earner.

He cited a recent travel advisory by CNN as the first in how the media may blow the haze situation out of proportion.

"Once the damage is done, it's very difficult to repair," he said.

Asked whether the government would be revealing precise API figures in order for a clearer picture on the environmental problem, Sothinathan said: "We feel that at the moment it is not necessary. We have not gone to that level (of pollution) yet. From time to time we may give figures, if necessary."

Clampdown on emissions

To counter the haze locally, the deputy minister said the authorities will be increasing environmental monitoring activities and warned that laws on vehicular emissions and bans on open burning would be strictly enforced.

"I would advise children and adults with respiratory problems to take extra precaution, but there is no need to stop outdoor activities at the moment,"he said.

Due to prolonged haze concerns in Penang, the ministry has banned all other types of previously accepted circumstances for open burning on the island, with the exception of cremation.

DOE director-general Rosnani Ibarahim said if conditions deteriorate for prolonged periods in other parts of the country, the ministry may consider enforcing a full ban on open burning as well.

Transparency call

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang today called on the ministry to lift its ban on API figures, and release the numbers twice a day as a forward warning on the environment pollution.

By refusing to release the figures, Lim said: "It is sheer folly for the government to pretend that it could mislead foreign tourists into believing that there is pure and clean air in the country when haze is blanketing the Malaysian skies."

He also responded to Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's directive that education heads keep a close watch on the air quality index.

"How can the various state and district education departments meaningfully 'keep a close watch on the air quality index' when the Department of Environment is keeping the API a top state secret, dribbling out selective information as and when it deems expedient?" he said.

In 1997, haze resulting from Indonesian forest fires faced an all time high, enveloping the country for months and posed serious health problems.