(Oct 9): Singapore’s Formula 1 race will go ahead this weekend despite haze from Indonesian wildfires that has choked the city for weeks, pushing it to the top of the global rankings for air pollution.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One Management Ltd, said the company’s health and safety department was monitoring the situation, but expected an “incredible weekend.” The race, a flagship event for Singapore, is scheduled to include performances by Lana Del Rey, Mark Ronson and other international acts and is expected to attract crowds of at least 300,000.
“There’s no signal that this will be a problem at all during this weekend,” he said in an interview on Friday with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin.
Race organiser Singapore GP Pte Ltd said there were no plans to modify entertainment activities, which mostly take place in the open air. “We will continue to closely monitor all weather conditions, including haze, as part of our standard event planning and operations,” executive director Adam Firth said in emailed responses to Bloomberg.
Indonesia is battling one of its worst fire seasons in years as an intensifying El Niño exacerbates drought and fuels widespread blazes across the archipelago. That has caused weeks of thick smog across the region, with air quality levels in Singapore and nearby Kuala Lumpur both in the “very unhealthy” range as of midday Friday, according to monitoring platform IQAir. Singapore’s landmark skyline was shrouded in haze on Friday as conditions deteriorated.
Data from Singapore’s National Environment Agency ranked the air in all five regions of the city-state at unhealthy levels. Dry conditions are expected to continue over parts of the southern Asean region over the next few days.
“While the hotspot and smoke haze situation may improve in areas experiencing showers, the situation is expected to stay elevated in fire-prone regions experiencing prolonged dry conditions, with a continued risk of severe transboundary haze occurrence,” the agency said.
The worsening pollution has increased pressure for regional action, with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contacting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday about efforts to tackle the smog that has fuelled public health concerns across Southeast Asia. Anwar said Prabowo had “agreed to take the necessary steps,” according to the prime minister’s office.
In Malaysia, schools across Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor states, as well as Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and the Rompin district in Pahang will be closed on Friday, Malaysia’s Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said in a Facebook post. The move follows similar action taken in the southern state of Johor, one of the worst-affected areas.
Parks in Kuala Lumpur that are usually packed with morning joggers were quiet as people stayed indoors to avoid the haze.
Schools in areas with high pollution readings for three straight days will be shut on Monday as well, the education ministry said on social media. The closure came hours after Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar called for the action, saying the health and safety of children should be prioritised.
“Appropriate measures must be taken by the relevant ministry and agencies to protect students, including senior citizens and respiratory patients,” the monarch said in a Facebook post. He also urged people to wear masks and reduce outdoor activities.
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