Editorial photo #1407444 Environmental Issue

The air pollution across Malaysia

A general view shows as a layer of haze covers the city Kuala Lumpur on August 29, 2016. The air pollution is caused by the burning of forests and peat land in Indonesia so it can be used for growing crops, mostly lucrative palm oil. An annual feature of life in Indonesia's neighbouring countries, it has been blamed for deaths and illness. The haze has visibly returned to the Klang Valley despite the fact that Air Pollutant Index (API) on the Department of Environment’s (DOE) website reported ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ readings. Residents noticed a sharp drop in the air quality Monday and could smell it in the air, with several parts in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor recording poor visibility. According to The STAR, some may be left puzzled as API readings for Petaling Jaya was 46, Shah Alam (51), Port Klang (55), Putrajaya (61) and Cheras (45) as at 11am. (Photo by Chris Jung/NurPhoto)