WorldSoutheast Asia
Haze from Indonesian fires makes Singapore and Kuala Lumpur the world's most polluted cities
Malaysia's Firefly has extended its suspension of Singapore flights through Wednesday, and schools in parts of Malaysia remain shut. Malaysia wants ASEAN to treat haze as a disaster.
Key points
- Singapore's air quality index stood at 199 on Tuesday and Kuala Lumpur's at 183, the two worst readings in the world.
- Firefly has cancelled flights between Subang and Seletar through Wednesday, citing weather and haze.
- Indonesia's fires on Sumatra and Borneo are its most intense in 11 years.
Smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has made Singapore and Kuala Lumpur the two most polluted cities in the world, forcing flight cancellations and keeping schools closed in parts of Malaysia.
On Tuesday Singapore’s air quality index stood at 199 and Kuala Lumpur’s at 183, according to the IQAir rankings. Readings above 150 are considered unhealthy.
Firefly, a low-cost subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group, has extended its suspension of flights between Subang airport near Kuala Lumpur and Singapore’s Seletar Airport through Wednesday, citing “weather and haze conditions”. It called the move a “proactive safety measure” and is putting passengers on Malaysia Airlines flights to Changi where seats are available.
The fires, mostly on Sumatra and Borneo, are Indonesia’s most intense in 11 years, fed by a strong El Niño. Indonesia has deployed about 60,000 personnel, but thick smoke has grounded 34 aircraft and cloud seeding is not possible without suitable clouds.
Singapore has brought back subsidised treatment for haze-related illness for the first time since 2015. Malaysian schools reopened in most states on Tuesday, but remain shut in three states, a federal territory and several districts.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said he would push for stronger regional action at the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting next month, noting that haze is not classed as a natural disaster under the bloc’s current mechanism. The Philippines, which chairs ASEAN this year, has confirmed the issue is on the agenda. “It’s in the agenda,” said spokesman Dominic Xavier Imperial.
Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, has urged travellers to follow advisories from the National Environment Agency, after air quality crossed into the “unhealthy” range.