The Star 25 Oct 10;
KUCHING: A major contributor to the bad air quality in Peninsular Malaysia now is actually due to emissions from vehicles and factories as well as illegal burning, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said that to the best of his knowledge the haze from Sumatra had not reached Kuala Lumpur.
“There are many causes for the haze. Emission from vehicles is one that has led to air quality going down. Another reason is emission from industries.
“Also, there’s illegal burning,” he added when asked to comment on the 432 Air Pollution Index (API) reading in Muar, Johor, last week.
In various news reports, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said the unhealthy air level was due to fires in Sumatra, which was sparked by the hot weather.
As at 4pm yesterday, no areas in Malaysia had an API reading above 100. Nonetheless, 12 API reading centres in peninsula recorded between 51 and 100, which is moderate.
Healthy API readings are below 50, 101-200 is unhealthy, while anything above 301 is deemed hazardous.
Updates on API reading nationwide is available at www.doe.gov.my.
Improved air quality recorded in Johor and Malacca
The Star 25 Oct 10;
PETALING JAYA: The haze in Johor and Malacca which forced the closure of schools in Muar has improv-ed.
As of 5pm yesterday, both Muar and Malacca recorded an air pollutant index (API) reading of 52 and 32 respectively, a sharp drop from the 432 and 111 figure on Wednesday.
The API experienced an improvement in quality from only 47% of 37 areas showing a good reading to 82% as of 5pm yesterday.
Healthy API readings are below 50, moderate (51-100) and unhealthy (101-200). Readings above 301 are deemed hazardous.
Despite the improving condition, government hospitals and clinics remain on standby to treat more people with haze-related illnesses if the air quality remains poor.
The haze has been attributed to fires at about 300 hotspots in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Many of these hotspots were caused by smallholders who clear trees from areas of peatland in order to grow oil palm or other crops.
According to Department of Environment (DoE) director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry had informed its counterpart in Indonesia to express concern over the matter.
On whether the ministry could compel Indonesia to stop smallholders from continuing with the practice, Rosnani said the government could only make a request.
On Friday, the Indonesian government sent hundreds of firefighters to battle blazes, concentrating on Sumatra’s Riau province, which lies opposite Singapore across the Straits of Malacca.
The most severe outbreak of haze took place in 1997.
Rosnani had said the current haze conditions would not be as bad as the one in 1997. In fact, she said the haze woes had improved over the years.
For updates on the API nationwide, visit the DoE website at www.doe.gov.my.
Haze at park puts frown on visitors
The Star 25 Oct 10;
PONTIAN: Visitors to the Tanjung Piai National Park here are leaving disappointed as hazy conditions are impairing the view of the sunset and surrounding environment.
Park manager Khalid Zahrom said the hazy conditions for the past four days had caused many visitors to leave without enjoying the attractions.
“The park is located within a mangrove forest which overlooks parts of Pulau Karimun, Indonesia, the Tanjung Bin power plant and Singapore,” he said, adding that visitors who wanted to view the beautiful sunset were unable to do so.
He said that when the haze first began in Muar on Oct 20, conditions at the national park were normal, but over the last few days, the winds had brought the haze to the area.
“Visibility towards the sea is only about 100m,” he said.
Student Muhammad Azamuddin Mohd Saman, 12, said he was disappointed that he could not enjoy the full view of the Straits of Johor and Straits of Malacca from the park jetty.
“I was told by a park ranger that on a regular day, we can see as far as Singapore and Indonesia, but the haze has made that impossible,” he said.
Another student, Muhammad Zulhisham Mohd Affandi, 12, said that the haze had made it difficult to view the ships in the straits.
“I was looking forward to seeing some of the large ships and tankers today, but the haze prevented this,” he said.
