As the skies darkened in parts of Malaysia, including the southern coastal town of Malacca where delegates of a developing countries' summit were meeting Tuesday, a regional plan was being contemplated to fight the haze.
Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia would meet next month to discuss a regional action plan to fight haze in the region, a newspaper reported.
In Malacca, 150 kilometers (90 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur, the air was declared ``unhealthy,'' something that is done when the Air Pollutant Index rises above 100. Tuesday's index for Malacca was 127.
The skies over Kuala Lumpur were gray although the index was declared `moderate' at 85. The towns of Jerantut and Kemaman had indices of 100 and 117. The air is termed fit to breathe when the index is below 50.
Leaders of the 15 developing nations flew to Malacca on Tuesday morning for a daylong retreat, during which they were expected to discuss the region's currency problem. There were no reports about any change of plans because of the unhealthy air.
Among the delegates were Indonesia's President Suharto, in whose country forests are burning and spewing out smoke that has darkened the region for nearly three months.
Measures to be discussed between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia would include cooperation for early detection and immediate deployment of fire fighters and equipment to fight haze-causing fires, the New Straits Times daily quoted Malaysia's Science, Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding as saying.
Neighboring Brunei may also be included in the talks in Singapore, Law said.
A regional task force, scheduled to meet in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 17, would prepare an agenda for the Singapore dialogue that would be attended by Indonesia's Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja.
A three-member Canadian team is in Sarawak, one of the worst-hit states, to assist in the study of the haze. Sarawak was declared unsafe for 10 days in September when the Air Pollutant Index there hit the hazardous level of more than 301.