The haze has slowed down economic and social activities and DAP, in a protest outside the Indonesian embassy here today, urged the neighbouring country to compensate Malaysians for the inconvenience.

Adorning face masks and carrying placards, about 60 people, led by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, gathered outside the embassy in Kuala Lumpur to register their protest for about an hour this morning.

They unfurled banners proclaiming: "We condemn Indonesia for not stopping the haze" and "Indonesia must pay compensation because of the haze".

Lim said Indonesia has failed to act against companies that resort to the slash-and-burn method to clear and fertilise forest lands.

As a mere apology was not sufficient, he said the republic must make a full compensation as well as act against the unscrupulous companies responsible for the crisis.

However, he said the amount of compensation should be sorted out on a 'G-to-G' or government- to-government basis.

Lim noted that the haze spells in 1997 and 1998 resulting from fires in Sumatera and Borneo caused RM9 billion in damages to the region's farming, transportation and tourism sectors.

Nigh market traders affected

Meanwhile, DAP Federal Territories consumers' bureau chief Khong Chee Seng, speaking on behalf of two local hawker associations, said business at night markets have been adversely affected due to the lack of patrons.

"I was chosen to be the advisor of the night market hawkers' and petty traders' association in Pandan Jaya and Taman Connaught, both of whom have told me that business dropped as much as 50 -70 percent from the normal (volume of) trade.

"People now only come out to the night markets to buy only the most basic of necessities," he added.

With the Air Pollutant Index (API) level surpassing 500 yesterday at two places in Selangor, sports associations have also reportedly postponed their scheduled matches.

Commenting on these developments, a martial arts instructor present at the protest lamented his financial losses due to the cancellation of his classes.

Meanwhile, Lim said the protest was also organised to convey the anger of Malaysians over the haze which is blanketing the country.

"Some parts of Malaysia are now is a state of emergency not because of external threats, economic disorder or internal civil war but air pollution, a situation never contemplated by our founding fathers.

"Our children's health are threatened. They cannot attend schools and their parents cannot go to work," he added.

Foreign assistance

DAP also demanded that Indonesia seek foreign assistance if it did not have enough personnel to battle the raging fires.

"We are demanding that Indonesia demonstrate its commitment to Asean solidarity by asking for the assistance of foreign countries.

"Allow other countries to do the work for them if they are unable to do so. If the Indonesian government is agreeable to this, then they should also give (the foreign personnel) powers of enforcement," said Lim (right).

The party listed down its demands in a memorandum which was received by the embassy's Communications Director Agus Budiman.