Haze caused by forest and ground fires from Indonesia's Borneo island has hit Sarawak, officials said today.

They classified the situation as serious amid fears the 1997 smog crisis that enveloped parts of Southeast Asia could be repeated.

Zainal Dahalan, deputy science, technology and environment minister attributed the haze in Sarawak to the cutting of trees and forest clearing by Indonesian farmers and estate owners ahead of the new planting season.

"The haze level in Sarawak is quite serious. The pollution index in the state has exceeded 170 (unhealthy)," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Lee Heng Keng, control director of the department of environment, said six monitoring stations in Sarawak state Kuching, Sarikei, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Kapit and Petra Jaya recorded unhealthy air readings.

"We are monitoring the situation. For now we are advising people not to engage in strenuous outdoor activities. Drink lots of water," he told AFP.

"We hope the 1997 haze will not haunt us again," Lee said, referring to the forest fires that blanketed parts of Southeast Asia with choking smog in that year.

Annual smog problem

Lee said currently schools in the state would remain open.

Zainal said Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding will lead a team of Malaysian experts to West Kalimantan later this week to determine the cause of the forest fires where he would meet his Indonesian counterpart Nabiel Makarim.

Earlier this month on the sidelines of the Earth Summit, Law voiced Malaysia's concern to Makarim over fresh fires in Indonesia's Borneo and Sumatra islands blamed on illegal loggers and farmers.

Law last month wrote a letter to Makarim to complain about the annual haze hazard, which has also hit Brunei, Singapore and Thailand.

Southeast Asia has been battling the smog problem annually since 1997 when parts of the region were blanketed for months, causing serious health problems and economic losses estimated at RM35 billion.

Although this year's haze is less serious than in 1997-98, Indonesia is still under pressure from its neighbours to act. AFP