KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 3 -- For more than a month, haze has blanketed parts of Malaysia as transboundary smoke from massive forest and peatland fires in neighbouring Indonesia drifts across the region.

Many of the fires burn deep into carbon-rich peatlands, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish and can produce thick, acrid smoke for prolonged periods.

With the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) set to host the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix this weekend, SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif has said cloud seeding operations could be carried out around the circuit to induce rainfall ahead of the event.

The hope is that the additional rainfall could help improve air quality and visibility, creating better conditions for the race ...