S’pore offers to put out Indonesian fires

Singapore is worried the haze from the forest fires will hamper next week's Formula One night race in the city state.

SINGAPORE: Singapore has offered to send aircraft to help Indonesia put out forest fires that threaten to cast a pall over the city-state’s showcase Formula One night race next week, local media reported on Wednesday.

Forest fires started illegally by farmers and logging companies on the Indonesian island of Sumatra during the dry season cause smog over Singapore and Malaysia each year, creating health problems.

Indonesia, the world’s top palm oil producer, has repeatedly promised to tackle the problem but the forest fires remain an annual event because of poor law enforcement.

“We have a team on standby to help with putting out fires or even with cloud seeding, as well as technical assistance.

“But really it depends on whether the Indonesians request or require our assistance,” Singapore Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishan told Channel NewsAsia.

He said Indonesian officials appeared to be trying to put out the fires themselves. Last year, the smog prompted Malaysia to alert vessels in the Malacca Strait of poor visibility as short as two nautical miles and shut many schools.

Malaysia has expressed its concern to Indonesia over 600 hot spots in Sumatra, state news agency Bernama quoted Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas as saying earlier this week.

Singapore hosts the Formula One this month. Unlike most other legs of the competition, the Singapore event takes place at night to cater for European TV viewers.

Smog covered Singapore and parts of Malaysia over the weekend but has since been blown away. In Indonesia, an airport at Jambi on Sumatra remained partially closed because of the smog.

- Reuters