Indonesia must act urgently - or collaborate - to deal with the haze

ONCE again, Singapore's skies are choked in a thick haze - a result of a soaring number of forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia - and still there does not seem to be a ready solution to combat this recurring problem effectively.

The current haze in Singapore is at its worst levels in two years, with the three-hour Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) breaching the "very unhealthy" mark of above 200 several times in the last few days alone. The 3-hour PSI reading hit 249 at 9pm on Monday, the highest so far this year. This came on the same day that the number of hot spots in Sumatra rose to 982, the most in two months.

While the haze may be deemed an environment hazard, there are knock-on effects on the economy, tourism and everyday life. Already, two major events were affected over the weekend. The Singtel-Singapore Cancer Society Race Against Cancer, which was due to take place on Sunday, was called off the night before due to safety and health concerns.