Indonesian forest fires push up air pollution in Malaysia, Singapore

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Higher levels of air pollution were recorded in Malaysia and Singapore as a result of forest fires in neighboring Indonesia, local media reported on Wednesday.

Satellite images have spotted 143 fires in Sumatra, among which 98 are in Riau province. The haze has reached western Malaysia via Strait of Malacca, according to Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA).

The pollutant standards index (PSI) in Singapore started to rise to around 60 on Tuesday, with air quality in the eastern and western part recorded the worst, while PSI in many Malaysian cities has exceeded 100 on Tuesday.

A reading above 100 means that the air quality is unhealthy.

The NEA said there might be a slight haze on Wednesday, but the air quality is still at the moderate level.

The NEA has restarted the daily forecast mechanism since June 16, saying that hazy conditions are expected to get more frequent due to dry weather and El Nino that might appear in the upcoming months.

The main index for air pollution hit a record high in Singapore last year. The haze was largely a result of fire used to burn bushes on Sumatra so that the land can be utilized for agricultural purposes.