KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8): A meeting will be held on Feb 22 in Putrajaya to discuss the country's preparation for the effects of El Niño and haze.

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the meeting would involve various ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

"As we know, [this year] is predicted to be hotter and drier than usual. It started last year, which also the hottest year ever recorded. We want to ensure the best preparation," he told a press conference after attending a dialogue session on the post-28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the National Climate Change Bill on Thursday.

Malaysian Meteorological Department director general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah was reported as saying on Thursday that the El Niño phenomenon with strong intensity currently affecting the world is expected to continue until the middle of this year.

He said the phenomenon started in the middle of last year, and can continue for up to 18 months.

Meanwhile, Nik Nazmi said the ministry also held discussions on measures to overcome the problem of peatland fires and transboundary haze with the parties involved, including from Indonesia.

On Oct 4 last year, he said that Malaysia had sent a letter to Indonesia with regard to cooperation under the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

The letter was sent to his counterpart in Indonesia, following instructions from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for coordination to resolve the transboundary haze issue.