KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not likely to experience severe haze as several hotspots detected in Indonesia recently were relatively low.
METMalaysia director-general Jailan Simon said based on the data collected yesterday, there were only around seven hotspots in central and eastern Kalimantan, which did not pose haze hazard to Malaysia this month.
It was previously reported that a number of hotspots had been detected in Kalimantan or Sumatra, Indonesia, where rampant bushfires had spread across the republic.
He said the direction of the wind and the higher humidity were also among the factors contributing to the lesser effects of haze in the country.
However, he cautioned that if the forest fires continue to worsen and create many more hotspots in the republic, Malaysia is likely to be choked by haze.
"Yesterday there were seven hotspots in Kalimantan, with 17 in Sumatera.
"Because of the wind direction and the location of the hotspots in the centre and east of the Kalimantan, Sarawak will be spared from haze, unlike in the previous years.
"However, if the bushfires are not contained, it could be detrimental to our country."
Jailan was responding to a report that over 700 forest fire hotspots had been detected, based on satellite data at Kalimantan, Indonesia, and that haze could reach Malaysia and Singapore if the situation was left uncontrolled.
About 1.6 million hectares of forests in Indonesia have been destroyed by bushfires to date this year, making it one of the worst bushfires since 2015.
Meanwhile, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Social and Environmental Research and Development Studies lecturer Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Ekhwan Toriman said the implications from the hundreds of hotspots detected in Kalimantan on the Peninsular Malaysia were minimal as the southwest winds since May could last up to September.
"The wind is moving southwest at a speed of 15 knots and is generally dry. So the haze caused by fires in Kalimantan would only affect the interior of Sarawak and Sabah".
He said if open burning in Sumatra continues to be rampant in the coming days, it will bring haze in Peninsular sometime between August and September.
He said all 10 Asian member counties should comply with the Asean Cross-border Haze Pollution Treaty (AATHP) that had been signed.