Malaysia: Two districts under ‘haze emergency’

Reports by P. ARUNA, ISABELLE LAI, MOHD FARHAAN SHAH, RAZAK AHMAD, MAZWIN NIK ANIS, ONG HAN SEAN, ALLISON LAI, PATRICK LEE, MARTIN CARVALHO, A. RUBAN, SARBAN SINGH, KOW KWAN YEE, MUGUNTAN VANAR, YEE XIANG YUN and DESIREE TRESA GASPER
The Star 24 Jun 13;

PETALING JAYA: The Muar and Ledang districts in Johor are now under a “haze emergency” after the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings surged over 700 in these areas.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the emergency status would remain until further notice.

“However, it must be clarified that this does not involve a curfew and there will not be any change to the existing system of the ruling state and federal governments.

“All related ministries and agencies at the federal, state and district levels must plan and take action to ensure the safety and health of the public,” the Prime Minister said yesterday.

He urged the people to abide by the emergency guidelines issued by the National Security Council (NSC).

Under the guidelines, aimed at ensuring public safety and health, federal, state and district level natural disaster, management committees must advise the closure of schools and childcare centres, government and private sector offices and other work premises, including factories, plantations, construction sites, quarries and earthwork sites.

However, services related to water, electricity, public health, safety, radio and telecommunication, transport and finances are exempt.

But even as the haze takes its toll on the country, there are still thoughtless Malaysians who compound the problem by continuing with open burning.

API readings between 51 and 100 are considered “moderate”, 101 to 200 as “unhealthy” and 201 to 300 “very unhealthy”.

Any reading above 300 is “hazardous” while readings above 500 come under “emergency”.

Malaysia's worst reported case of haze was in 1997 when the API reading in Kuching spiked to 839, or 539 higher that the “hazardous” level of 300, prompting the Government to issue a 10-day haze emergency.

In the peninsula, an emergency had been declared in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang in 2005 when the API readings at these places showed more than 500.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said a regional map issued by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre showed thick smog moving from Riau in Sumatra towards the central and south-west regions of the peninsula.

Satellite image reports from the ASMC also showed that the number of hot spots detected in Sumatra had almost doubled from 64 on Friday to 118 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports Bhd operations senior general manager Datuk Azmi Murad said two Malaysia Airlines flights from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan were cancelled due to the haze, adding that the rest of operations was normal and the situation was being monitored.

He said the flight at 6.30pm was cancelled because visibility in Kuantan was only 400m, while the other flight, scheduled for 10.10pm was moved to this morning.

Haze: Impact on economy minimal, say experts
The Star 24 Jun 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: The economy could suffer due to the haze currently polluting some parts of the country, says an economist.

The problem, however, would not be serious enough to affect the country's gross domestic product (GDP), said RAM Hold- ings Group chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng.

He said tourism, leisure and restaurant businesses stood to lose the most at this point.

“Malaysians only need to worry if the haze grows to hazardous levels over the next few weeks or months,” he said.

Dr Yeah said the losses in the current haze situation could be in the millions of ringgit but “not hundreds of millions”.

He also pointed out that reduced sunshine could have negative effects on plantations, while critical haze levels could delay construction projects.

“The concern now is that if no immediate action is taken, the situation will get worse,” he added.

Ambank Group chief economist Anthony Dass said that although work productivity and consumer spending would take a hit due to the haze, the economic impact was “minimal and negligible”.

He added that the haze situation could be considered tolerable now as many people could still be seen going about their daily activities.

“However, if the haze worsens and the Government takes drastic precautionary measures like asking people not to go outdoors, we may see a more serious impact to our daily life,” he added.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) deputy president John Tan said a prolonged haze would impact in-bound tourism.

“If the haze worsens, foreign tourists will return to spread word about the situation here and this will affect our tourism industry,” he added.

On the other hand, he believes more Malaysians would travel overseas to escape the haze.

Not enough cloud to induce rain
The Star 24 Jun 13;

KUALA LUMPUR: There isn't enough cloud to induce rain, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

Shahidan said although authorities were prepared to carry out cloud seeding, there was practically “no cloud to seed” as moisture in the atmosphere was being drawn to the Tropical Storm Bebinca that is hitting south China.

“The tropical storm is expected to make landfall today. When this happens, the situation is expected to change and we will see if the process can be carried out then,” he said.

The minister said when possible, cloud-seeding would be carried out in Muar and Ledang where a state of emergency has been declared as the Air Pollutant Index hit 750.

Meteorological Department director-general Che Gayah Ismail said the hazy condition was expected to see a slight improvement once the tropical storm makes landfall as it would weaken the south-westerly wind and “slow down the import of haze”.

Shahidan said the haze emergency in Muar and Ledang was administrative in nature and done so that resources from all ministries and agencies involved in managing haze would draw up and implement necessary measures to protect the public's safety and health.

Sarawak faced the worst in 1997
New Straits Times 24 Jun 13;

SHOCKING LEVEL: Sixteen years ago, the state had the highest API reading of 860

KUALA LUMPUR: THE API readings in Muar and Ledang in Johor yesterday reached shocking levels of 750 in terms of API readings.

The incident prompted the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declare an emergency in the two districts.

Surprisingly, the 750 API reading is not the highest air pollutant index ever recorded in Malaysia as yesterday was not the first time Malaysia has declared a haze-related emergency situation.

In 1997, Sarawak recorded a startling 860 API that caused a two-week state of emergency for the Borneo state.

The transboundary air pollutant disaster was known as the 1997 South East Asian Haze and was caused by fires in Kalimantan (Indonesian) territory in the southern part of Borneo island.

The area where the fire took place was estimated to be the size of four million football pitches and was visible even from space.

The state of emergency, a move taken by then National Disaster Management Relief Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Rahmat, had closed schools, businesses and non-essential government offices.

Mohamed Rahmat had issued a statement that the government was considering mass-evacuation for Sarawakians who were affected by the haze.

Sarawakians were told to stay indoors, preferably in air-conditioned rooms.

The air quality reached such a hazardous level that in just six days, 10,000 people sought treatment at government clinics for haze-related illnesses in Sarawak.

Sarawak's capital Kuching also reported a stream of patients suffering from respiratory problems.

The state of emergency imposed in Sarawak also prompted the city's airport to shut for a week and left 1,500 passengers stranded.

Officials in the state had also lowered their estimates for tourist arrivals because of the haze problem.

The incident in 1997 also witnessed the United States, Britain, Germany and Denmark issuing travel advisories warning their citizens against travelling to countries affected by the haze.

Despite this, shops and restaurants remained open as usual.

The total cost of the damage caused by the haze to Malaysia was estimated at RM802 million for the period between August and October 1997.

The damage caused by the haze affected the gross domestic product by an estimated 0.30 per cent.

Then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the then head of Malaysian fire and rescue department came up with a plan to send Malaysian firefighters to Indonesia to help put out the fire in Operation Haze -- the biggest cross border fire-fighting mission in history.

The operation lasted for 25 days. About 10 million hectares of forest cover was destroyed.

A week from the emergency declaration in Sarawak, rain finally fell in Kuching, marking the end of the hazardous smoke.

Residents were told to seek shelter because the rain contained dangerous level of pollutants.

Malaysia declares emergency as Indonesia smoke pollution thickens
Siva Sithraputhran PlanetArk 24 Jun 13;

Malaysia declares emergency as Indonesia smoke pollution thickens Photo: Beawiharta
Villagers sit on their motorcycles as they get ready to leave their homes as a fire burns a palm oil plantation in the Bangko Pusako district in Rokan Hilir, in Indonesia's Riau province June 22, 2013.
Photo: Beawiharta

Malaysia declared a state of emergency in two parts of the southern state of Johor on Sunday, as smoke from land-clearing fires in Indonesia pushed air pollution above the level considered hazardous.

The illegal burning of forests and other land on Indonesia's Sumatra island, to the west of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to clear space for palm oil plantations is a chronic problem during the June-September dry season.

The "haze" caused by fires in Riau province on Sumatra has also shrouded neighboring Singapore but air quality in the city state improved over the weekend after reaching hazardous levels.

"Prime Minister Najib Razak has agreed to declare emergency status in Muar and Ledang with immediate effect," Malaysian Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel said in a Facebook post.

Palanivel said the air pollution index in the two districts had exceeded 750. A reading above 300 indicates that air pollution is hazardous.

Domestic media quoted the minister as saying cloud seeding would be carried out in the affected areas.

All 211 schools in the area are to be closed until further notice, residents have been advised to stay indoors and face masks have been distributed, Khaled Nordin, chief minister of the state, said, also via posts on Facebook.

Schools have been ordered shut in the neighboring state of Malacca, where pollution has also reached hazardous levels. Schools were also ordered to close in one district in Pahang state.

All domestic airports managed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) are operating as usual despite the haze, the national news agency quoted the airport operator as saying.

The current visibility level of 1 km was still safe, but runways would have to close if visibility fell under 300 m, it quoted Malaysian airports official Azmi Murad as saying.

Indonesian officials have deflected blame by suggesting companies based in Malaysia and Singapore may be partly responsible. Malaysia-listed Sime Darby and Singapore's Wilmar Group both deny the charge.

(Reporting by Siva Sithraputhran; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Emergency declared in 2 Johor districts
Malaysia closes schools in several states, haze reaches south Thailand
Zakir Hussain Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta And Teo Cheng Wee Regional Correspondent In Muar (johor)
Straits Times 24 Jun 13;

MALAYSIA declared emergency status in two Johor districts yesterday and is closing schools in several states today, as fires continued to spread in Sumatra and the haze reached parts of southern Thailand.

The Malaysian government placed the districts of Ledang and Muar under emergency status, where the pollution index spiked to 746 at 7am yesterday, near the country's historic highs and more than double standard hazardous levels.

The pollution in Malaysia and in Singapore this year from the seasonal forest fires in Indonesia is the worst on record.

Yesterday, days after several of his ministers deflected criticisms, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged action.

"Indonesia will thoroughly resolve the forest fires in Riau and will take firm action against the foreign-owned companies involved," he said on his Twitter account and Cabinet website.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore have been urging Indonesia to tackle the source of the issue - deliberate burning to clear land linked to major pulp and palm oil companies.

The President's comments came as Indonesian authorities said they have carried out checks on two of eight Malaysian-owned companies under investigation for burning - PT Lagam Inti Hibrida in Pelalawan and PT Bumi Reksa Sejati in Indragiri Hilir - but did not say what they found.

In Muar, all schools will be closed, and workplaces have been advised to close. Essential services will remain open. Schools have also been declared closed in Malacca, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

"People are still allowed to go about with their normal routines but for their own good, they should try and stay inside as much as possible and wear masks," said Muar district officer Abdul Rahman Muhamed Dewan.

As the wind continues to blow the bulk of the haze to Malaysia, clearer skies are expected over the next few days in Singapore.

Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said he would seek clarification on the "contradictory signals" from the Indonesian government on whether Singapore- linked companies are being investigated for burning.

In Dumai, the city in Riau at the heart of the haze, rain fell for about 30 minutes yesterday morning. But officials said clouds are too thin to yield much rain.

The number of fires on Sumatra jumped from 64 on Friday to 227 at 5pm yesterday.

The Bangkok Post reported that the haze had also reached southern Thailand.

Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel will be in Jakarta on Wednesday to meet his counterpart.

Malaysia and Singapore's readings of the haze cover the same five pollutants but differ on methods. Thus, the Malaysian API and the Singapore PSI are the same up to the level of 50. Beyond that, the maximum reading of 500 on PSI comes up to 577 on API.

By 4pm yesterday, the API 746 level of haze had cleared up considerably in Muar, but had taken a toll on businesses.

"Sunday is supposed to be the busiest day, but it is all quiet here," said wanton noodle seller Fong Kin Hwee, 48.

In Muar, it was 'like ash hitting you in the face'
Air relatively clear last evening, but residents tell of how bad it had been
Teo Cheng Wee Regional Correspondent, in Muar (Johor)
Straits Times 24 Jun 13;

HAVING been in Kuala Lumpur since the haze hit the region last week, I was spared the worst of the haze.

As I headed out on my 2 1/2-hour car journey to Muar yesterday, armed with two bottles of water and one surgical mask, I did not feel ready to handle a town with an air pollutant index (API) of 300, much less 746.

Seriously, 746? That shocking figure set off a flurry of text messages from my Malaysian friends in the morning. Their country has not seen these levels of haze since 1997. Finally, the haze - which has been choking the region this past week - has truly hit home.

As I travelled south on the highway, the signs were not good. Visibility - I could only see about 500m ahead - was significantly reduced in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. As I neared Malacca, I could smell the acrid air inside the car, which set off a throbbing headache.

But then, a surprise. Relatively clear air greeted me when I reached Muar, a coastal town in northern Johor known for its juicy otak. It was just after 4pm and while the sky was still overcast, the smell of haze was faint.

"You should have been here yesterday. Our mouths were constantly dry and you can almost feel like the ash is hitting you in the face," said electrical repair shop owner Ng Chuen Kay, 53.

Part-time cleaner Koh Geok Choo, 50, said the haze burnt her eyes and made her heart beat faster when she rode her motorcycle around town. "This is definitely the worst haze Muar has ever had," she said.

Since the API readings here show a 24-hour average, Muar's reading at 5pm yesterday was still 507, though the air had cleared somewhat when I got there.

Supermarket assistant Afiqah Azhar, 19, said this was the clearest she has seen Muar in the last four days. The day before, we could not even see that blue building, she told me, pointing to a shophouse about 200m away.

"I hope this haze stays away," said Ms Afiqah. "Our business has dropped by at least 60 per cent because everyone stays home."

Earlier in the day, the government declared emergency status for Muar and the nearby town of Ledang.

Schools and government offices will be closed today.

As I headed back towards the capital, I had an idea of where the haze had gone. In the evening, the government announced that it was shutting schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur due to the worsening haze. Malaysia's capital city, which had escaped the haze for the past week, was getting its turn. Well, at least I have my mask ready now.