The worst is yet to come. Tan urged the Indonesian authorities to mobilise more resources to put out the fire. More would be expected of them. Tan said sulphur dioxide, not a dominant pollutant in the haze that has enveloped most parts of Malaysia recently, could increase if the peat continues to burn extensively. Peat is a flammable material made up of decomposed vegetable matter.
Sulphur dioxide is a major cause of smog.
At high concentrations, it affects human health, especially those suffering from asthma, medical experts said. It can also harm vegetation, and acidify lakes and streams. In Kuching, capital of Sarawak state placed under a state of emergency two weeks ago when the reading shot past 800, the index stood at 27. Indonesia has come under fire for failing to put out the raging forest fires, which cast a blanket of smog across Southeast Asia and threatened the health of millions in the region. Malaysia has sent more than 1,000 firefighters to help battle the blaze in Indonesia, concentrated on Sumatra island and Kalimantan.