Malaysia: Keeping haze in check

Yuen Meikeng The Star 14 Aug 12;

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is taking pro-active steps to stop the haze from worsening with the increase in the number of hotspots in the region, especially Sumatra in Indonesia.

With the southwest monsoon wind blowing smoke into the country, the authorities are determined to prevent the situation from deteriorating with our own open burning.

The Department of Environment (DOE) is deploying more enforcement officers to check open burning and look out for motor vehicles emitting excessive smoke.

The officers will be “busy” in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Johor, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas.

“But the main issue here is transboundary haze, which is why I will make a strong appeal to Indonesia to reduce the number of its hotspots when I attend the meeting (of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution) next month,” he told The Star yesterday.

The preparation to tackle the haze followed the poor air quality in several areas in the country, especially Port Klang, Alor Setar, Langkawi and Kangar which all recorded unhealthy levels on Sunday.

The situation improved only slightly yesterday.

In Port Klang, for example, the Air Pollutant Index (API) was 106 at 7am, 117 at 11am and 115 at 5pm on Sunday, compared to 84, 78 and 76 respectively yesterday, according to the DOE website.

DOE director-general Halimah Hassan said the unhealthy API level in Selangor was partly due to open burning in Cyberjaya and Klang as well as peat soil fires in Bestari Jaya.

“The dry spell compounds the problem,” she added.

She reminded the public that the ban on open burning imposed in June for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and parts of Miri was still in force.

She urged anyone coming across open burning to contact the Fire and Rescue Department at 999 or call the DOE hotline 1-800-88-2727.

Hot spell to go on until October
New Straits Times 14 Aug 12;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department expects the hot and dry spell in the region to prolong until October and urges the public to avoid open burning so that the air quality can be maintained at a healthy level.

The Department of Environment yesterday said several small fires in the country had caused the air quality to deteriorate, including that at the Selangor Science Park in Cyberjaya, Jalan Kebun and Johan Setia in Klang, and near the Kesas highway.

The department stated that a prohibition on open burning was still in force for Selangor, Federal Territory and Putrajaya as well as Tudan, Permai Jaya and Kuala Baram in Miri, Sarawak.

It said air quality at 51 monitoring stations nationwide recorded healthy levels until 11am yesterday.

The department has also mobilised and activated the National Haze Action Plan and the Open Burning Prevention Action Plan nationwide to monitor the status of air quality.

The public is urged to report any cases of open burning to the Fire and Rescue Department at 999 or the DOE at 1-800-88-2727. Bernama

Air quality over Penang at moderate level
Christopher Tan The Star 14 Aug 12;

GEORGE TOWN: After touching the unhealthy level, the air quality in Penang has improved and is now hovering just below the mark in one area and lower in other parts.

According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre's website, 310 hotspots were detected in Sumatra at 3.55pm yesterday, almost double the 163 spotted on Sunday.

At 7am yesterday, the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Seberang Jaya 2 was 101, the only area out of the 51 stations to record an unhealthy API.

However, it dropped to 100 at 11am and 98 at 5pm. It had risen from Sunday when it was a steady 96.

The API at Universiti Sains Malaysia was 84 at 7am and 11am yesterday before going down to 81 at 5pm. In Prai, it was 84 at 7am and 11am before dropping to 83 at 5pm.

Moderate API readings with slight improvements in air quality were recorded in other areas in the northern states, including Alor Setar in Kedah and Kangar in Perlis, which recorded unhealthy levels yesterday.

Alor Setar recorded API of 82 at 7am, 76 at 11am and 74 at 5pm yesterday compared to 104, 108 and 98 respectively on Sunday.

In Kangar, the API was 82 at 7am, 73 at 11am and not recorded at 5pm yesterday, compared to 97, 103 and 101 on Sunday.

A good API reading is 0-50, moderate 51-100, unhealthy 101-200, very unhealthy 201-299, and hazardous 300 and above.

According to the Meteorological Department, visibility in Bayan Lepas was 3.5km at 8am and 9am before improving to 4km at 10am.

The department's weather forecast centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the weak El Nino phenomenon over the Pacific Ocean, expected between now and September, would have minimal impact on rainfall.

Penang Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh cautioned against open burning and advised the public to drink more water to keep themselves hydrated.