Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor today said the country was being "picked on" over the haze crisis, with more than its fair share of bad publicity deterring tourists from visiting.

"It is the foreign press who are constantly rubbishing Malaysia. Singapore, Brunei and some other countries in the region are also affected by haze but they keep picking on Malaysia," Tengku Adnan told reporters.

"It is not good for tourist arrivals at all," he added.

The minister also singled out the foreign governments who had issued warnings about the choking haze caused by Indonesian forest fires which have blanketed parts of the region, sending air quality to unhealthy levels.

"Australia had issued some travel advisory and then some European countries as well saying avoid our country," Tengku Adnan said.

"But we are saying why only Malaysia? ... even landing in Singapore is a problem now. They have got to sympathise with us," he added.

Tourism is one of the major growth sectors in Malaysia with a total of 16.4 million tourists entering the country in 2005 and a target of 20.1 million visitors for 2007.

Indonesia yesterday apologised to Singapore and Malaysia for the haze over both countries and agreed to convene a meeting of regional environment ministers to tackle the problem.

Meanwhile, the haze which shrouded most parts of the country for more than a week has cleared, with no areas registered 'unhealthy' levels of the Air Pollutant Index.

Street performance festival

Meanwhile, in an attempt to lure more tourists, the government has decided to suspend its ban on busking.

This is done just in time before clowns, acrobats and juggling acts arrive from around the world for a street performance festival.

"The festival aims to promote Malaysia as a world-class cosmopolitan city," said Tengku Adnan.

Tengku Adnan said the International Buskers Festival, to be held Dec 2-10, had been relocated from Singapore - the neighbour city-state with which it competes keenly for tourists.

"The buskers are looking for a bigger and more natural venue and Malaysia has more to offer in that sense and so we have enticed them to come over here," he said.

Busking is normally banned in public places in Malaysia, but during the festival home-grown performers will also have the chance to showcase their talent.

"We hope when the locals meet the international buskers it will open doors for them to go to other countries to perform," Tengku Adnan said.