No Purple Haze

It seems that I was praising Malaysia as the perfect tourist destination too early. Yesterday, the Malaysian government released air pollution figures for the first time since 1997. Some values are really shocking.

The figures are reported according to a so-called Air Pollution Index (API). I have no idea, how this API is determined. However, the local newspapers wrote in today’s issues, how the figures have to be interpreted:

• In the tourist town Penang the value is at 39 – that is almost clear air, not even moderate (51-100), which would have few ore none effects on peoples health.
• I’m typing this in Malacca. Here the API is at 107, which is considerate as unhealthy (107-200). Hence, my mild eye irritation might not be caused by the new cleaning substance for my contacts. I could also suffer from respiratory symptoms.
• The worst place to be is Port Klang, close to the capital Kuala Lumpur. In Port Klang the API raised to 424, which is even worse than hazardous (over 300). An API over 400 can cause premature death of ill and elderly.

Who is to blame for the haze that leads to damaging API figures? According to the Malaysians, the problem is imported from Sumatra across the Straight of Malacca. The folks over there are accused of burning down palm oil plantations. The second "bad guy" in this case is the wind. It blows the smoke over the straight. Hence the brown haze all over the Malaysian Peninsular.

A news show in the Singaporean TV reported yesterday that Singapore is not afraid of the haze as long as the wind is cooperating with Singapore - that is, blowing towards Malaysia.