Firefighters are working to get fire under control in South Sumatra, Indonesia (Photo: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Malaysia’s sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has urged the Indonesian government to ensure that haze from raging forest fires will not affect the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 29) which will take place in Malaysia next week.
Malaysia will host the biggest regional sports event from August 19-30, with thousands of athletes from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) flocking to Kuala Lumpur to take part.
However, there have been fears that choking smog from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia could float over to Malaysia during the event.
The haze is an annual problem caused by slash-and-burn fires in some Indonesian agricultural areas. It often blows over Malaysia and Singapore, causing flight cancellations, school closures and soaring rates of respiratory illness.-VNA
Malaysia will host the biggest regional sports event from August 19-30, with thousands of athletes from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) flocking to Kuala Lumpur to take part.
However, there have been fears that choking smog from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia could float over to Malaysia during the event.
The haze is an annual problem caused by slash-and-burn fires in some Indonesian agricultural areas. It often blows over Malaysia and Singapore, causing flight cancellations, school closures and soaring rates of respiratory illness.-VNA
VNA
