Singapore rolls out haze subsidies as Malaysia extends school closures

Singapore rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment Monday and schools were closed in parts of neighbouring Malaysia, as both countries grapple with persistently unhealthy air quality due to fires in nearby Indonesia.

Singapore again ranked the world's most polluted city on Monday, according to Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir, as the fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands -- intensified by a turbo-charged El Nino weather phenomenon -- keep emitting toxic haze.

The fires have created severe haze locally, with tens of thousands of cases of respiratory illnesses.

In Singapore, the government activated schemes on Monday that allow citizens to receive affordable care for haze-related conditions.

The subsidies cover conditions including "allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, upper respiratory tract infection, and their complications," the health ministry said in a statement late Sunday.

Treatment is capped at Sg$10 (under US$8) for most eligible Singaporeans, and Sg$5 for senior citizens aged 67 and above.

The city-state last activated its haze subsidy scheme in 2015, when smoke from Indonesian forest fires cloaked Southeast Asia in toxic smoke for weeks, driving up illnesses and leading to school closures and flight cancellations.

In neighbouring Malaysia, schools reopened Monday in most areas as air quality improved slightly, but remained closed across southern Johor state and parts of the capital Kuala Lumpur and central Selangor state.

Indonesia regularly battles wildfires during the dry season, but the fires have intensified this year because of El Nino, set to be one of the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago.

Experts have also pointed to slash-and-burn land-clearing practices that have changed the naturally fire-resistant landscape.

The transboundary haze has also disrupted regional travel.

Malaysian low-cost carrier Firefly cancelled flights between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near Kuala Lumpur and Singapore's Seletar Airport from Saturday to Monday as a "precautionary safety measure", the airline said.

"Given the evolving weather situation, Firefly is monitoring developments closely. Further updates on flight schedules will be communicated directly to affected customers," Firefly said in a statement on Facebook.