Malaysia: ‘Affected sectors to issue warning if visibility worsens’

The Star 14 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The aviation and maritime sectors are on high alert as the haze situation continues to worsen.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said he had directed the Marine Department and Civil Aviation Department to issue warnings in view of the reduced visibility in some major cities and towns.

He said so far, two commercial airlines had been diverted from their landing destinations due to the haze.

Yesterday morning, an AirAsia flight from Bangkok, Thailand, to here was rerouted to Phuket before entering the Malaysian air space.

On Saturday, a Tiger Airways plane from Singapore to Ipoh was forced to land at KL International Airport as the visibility at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh had dropped to less than 900m.

“Maritime activities involving small vessels will be stopped if the visibility drops below one nautical mile,” said Liow, who is also MCA president, at a press conference after opening the Selangor MCA annual general meeting yesterday.

As for aviation services, he added that landing of the aircraft could be dangerous if the visibility was further reduced to 600m.

MetMalaysia, RMAF Prepared To Conduct Cloud Seeding Operations - Madius
Bernama 12 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- The Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) are prepared to conduct cloud seeding operations to reduce haze in several areas the country.

Science Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Madius Tangau said the operations would be conducted if the air pollutant index (API) in the area showed an unhealthy reading of over 100 for a continuous period of 72 hours and if there were suitable atmosphere and cloud formation.

"Based on the recent development, the haze situation is expected to persist as the southwest winds continue bringing the smoke from the areas which are currently on fire in Sumatra and Kalimantan," he said in a statement here today.

He said satellite observation on Friday also showed that there were 304 hotspots in Sumatra, 25 in Kalimantan and only one in Peninsular Malaysia.

"The rising number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as the current hot and dry weather condition, had caused the haze situation to worsen in Sarawak and several states in the peninsula," he said.

As at 10 pm today, 17 areas nationwide were recorded as having unhealthy API readings.

-- BERNAMA

Haze: Aviation, maritime sectors on high alert, says Liow
BEH YUEN HUI The Star 13 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The aviation and maritime sectors are ordered to be on high alert due to the worsening haze situation.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) said the Marine Department and Civil Aviation Department had issued warnings in view of the reduced visibility in some major cities and towns.

Speaking after the opening of the Selangor MCA annual general meeting at Wisma MCA, Liow said two commercial flights had so far been diverted due to the haze.

On Saturday morning, a Tiger Airways flight from Singapore to Ipoh was forced to land at the KL International Airport as the visibility at Ipoh Airport had dropped to less than 900-metres.

On Sunday, an AirAsia flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Kuala Lumpur had to be re-routed to Phuket before entering Malaysian air space.

Liow added that some maritime activities would have to be stopped if visibility dropped below one-nautical mile.

Chopper for flying doctor service grounded due to haze
YU JI The Star 14 Sep 15;

KUCHING: The haze here has caused a helicopter for the state’s flying doctor service to be grounded and the cancellation of several events in the city.

The helicopter – one of the three used in the service – has been grounded at the Kuching Interna­tional Airport since last Friday.

State Health Department director Dr Zulkifli Jantan said it was not cleared for flying after visibility plummeted to 500m at the airport.

“The pilot followed the Civil Aviation Department’s advice not to fly,” Dr Zulkifli told The Star yes­terday, denying a report by a local daily that the entire service had been suspended.

Layang Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, which operates the service in Sarawak and Sabah, said its helicopters in Sibu and Miri continued to operate daily.

“We are still operating as usual except for the helicopter which has been grounded,” said its chief pilot Capt Irwin Menezes, who is also the operations manager.

“I understand some commercial fights have missed approaches because they could not see the runway clearly. So, it’s very bad at the moment,” said Menezes, adding that Layang Layang would like to resume operations as soon as possible.

“Once the winds change direction, visibility will improve. Then, we can start. We fly to very crucial areas but if you can’t see the ground clearly, then it’s very risky.”

The flying doctor services rural Sarawak where there is no access to roads, visiting up to 100 settlements each month.

As at 4pm yesterday, visibility in Kuching was only 700m while the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading was 119.

Over at Samarahan, a suburb about 10km away, the API was 123. In Sri Aman, 160km from here, it was 106.

All other areas in Sarawak had API readings within the moderate range.

Kuching City officials said they would close recreational parks if the API breached the very unhealthy 201 mark.

Kuching North City Hall mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai said sealing off public parks was a possibility “to prevent unforeseen circumstances”.

The City Hall, he added, had already called off a public aerobics event.

Other cancelled activities were a charity run by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which was postponed yesterday to Oct 25, and a monthly gathering by the Urban Sketchers Group, originally to be held at City Hall’s Orchid Park.

Haze: Sarawak recreational parks may face closure
YU JI The Star 13 Sep 15;

KUCHING: Recreational parks could be closed if the haze breaches the very unhealthy level of above 201 on the Air Pollution Index (API).

Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai said sealing off public parks could be a possibility, when asked Sunday morning.

"We haven't closed any yet but if the reading is above 201, then we could close all the parks and recreational areas. This is to prevent unforeseen circumstances from occurring," Abdul Wahap said.

The city hall has already cancelled several outdoor sporting activities, he told reporters after a gotong-royong event at Kai Joo Lane here.

"We cancelled our public aerobics classes this weekend. I have also told the cycling associations to not cycle in this weather. Everybody has got to be mindful of everybody's health," he said.

At noon, the API for the city centre was 111 and 114 for nearby Samarahan. At Sri Aman, about 160km away, the API was 103.

The readings indicate better air quality from the day before but visibility notably had reduced to 600m, which was roughly the same as when the API reading was at its highest on Friday and Saturday.

Other cancelled activities include a charity run by the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).

Scheduled for today, it has been postponed to Oct 25 because of the hazy conditions.

SSPCA president Dona Wee said the postponement took into account concern for the safety and health of the runners and those involved in the event as well as directives from the authorities.

"The current hazy condition is also making visibility limited and this will pose a danger to participats running along the route in the early morning," Wee said.

The Urban Sketchers Group has also cancelled its monthly gathering, which was supposed to be held at DBKU's Orchid Park today.

According to the Singapore-based Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, there could still be hundreds of hotspots on Borneo, almost all of which are in Kalimantan.

On Saturday, the centre's public data showed NOAA-18 satellite detected 98 hotspots, while the AQUA satellite detected 242 hotspots.

In its most recent regional haze update, it said the latest hotspot situation in Sumatra and Kalimantan could not be fully determined due to cloud cover.

"However, under the prevailing dry weather conditions, widespread moderate to dense smoke haze continued to be detected in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Transboundary haze from Kalimantan continued to affect Sarawak and has spread to South China Sea. Haze from Sumatra was also observed to have spread to Strait of Malacca and parts of the western peninsula Malaysia," it added.


Brisk sales of face masks in Muar
The Star 14 Sep 15;

MUAR: The worsening haze has led to face masks being snapped up by residents here.

Pharmaceutical assistant Pauline Lee, 32, who works at a store near Jalan Ali, said sales of face masks had been brisk with boxes being bought in the past fortnight.

“Residents here are more cautious because the town has always been among the worst hit in the country. For now, most customers prefer surgical face masks but I am sure that the N95 mask, which provides better protection, will see better sales if the situation deteriorates,” she said here yesterday.

Despite the smog blanketing parts of the town, most people went about their business without a face mask. One of the few people seen sporting a face mask was a clerk, who only wanted to be known as Hoon Boo.

The 53-year-old said she only started wearing the mask yesterday.

“I decided to put on the mask as I have been coughing and don’t feel well due to the haze,” she said, adding that she also avoided going outdoors.

Factory operator Mohd Firdaus Yusof, 19, said he was not wearing a mask just yet because the haze was still average.

“Most of us here have seen worse days in the past. There was once the API (Air Pollutant Index) hit critical level here and I couldn’t see the road properly. I consider this still bearable,” he said.

Nurse B. Saraswathy, 23, said she was trying to stay indoors.

“I will only wear a face mask when I absolutely have to,” she said, adding that she had also been drinking more water to stay hydra­ted.

Meanwhile, heavy rain in Penang island and the mainland resulted in moderate clear skies.

A Department of Environment spokesman said the API readings on the island was 85 as at 4pm, 71 in Prai and 81 in Seberang Jaya.

However, the haze was still visible from the Esplanade, Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Penang Bridge yesterday.

Haze: Nine Flights Affected In Kuching
Bernama 11 Sep 15;

KUCHING, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- Nine flights heading in and out of the Kuching International Airport (KIA) have been affected by the haze as of 5 pm Friday.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd's (MAHB) manager of KIA, Mohd Nadzim Hashim said as of 5pm, land visibility in Kuching was about 1,600 metres.

"Nine flights were delayed, involving five arrivals and four departures, affecting 934 passengers. No cancellations have been done as at 5pm," he said in a statement.

"MAHB advises all passengers who are flying through KIA to check their schedules with the respective airlines before heading to the airport," he said.

The daily activities of people in three areas, namely Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman have remained as usual, despite recording unhealthy levels on the air pollutant index (API).

As of 5pm, Samarahan recorded an API of 184, followed by Sri Aman (177), and Kuching (164).

A check by Bernama around the city revealed that people and motorcyclists had begun wearing masks when doing outdoor activities.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Health Department director Datuk Dr Zulkifli Jantan told Bernama as of today, there was no significant increase in the number of patients seeking treatment due to the haze.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in a statement said that as of yesterday, 18 hotspots had been detected in Kalimantan, Indonesia

Medium and thick haze smoke from hot spots in the province of west, south, and central Kalimantan are expected to spread to most parts of the state within the next 24 to 48 hours, the statement said.

In the meantime, Samarahan deputy resident (Development) Jamalie Busri when contacted said that air quality around Samarahan was somewhat affected. However residents were still safe.

He said residents had been advised to reduce outdoor activities, and if possible, to wear a face mask when outside the house.

-- BERNAMA

Haze Does Not Deter Tourists From Enjoying Melaka
Abigail Lawrence Bernama 13 Sep 15;

MELAKA, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- The haze, which has been shrouding the country since weeks ago, does not deter tourists with their plans to enjoy the historic state of Melaka.

Rachael Norbury, 24, from the United Kingdom, said she does feel uncomfortable with the haze, but it was not new to her because such a condition is also experienced in her own country at certain times.

"I do feel the haze and taking it easy, but its not a big deal actually, maybe we just can't really see the beautiful sceneries here from a certain distance.

"To keep me healthy and safe, I bring a big bottle of water to keep me hydrated all the time," she said when met by Bernama during her visit to the historical sites at Bandar Hilir here.

She said the haze would not prevent her from coming back to Malaysia again in the future.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE) website, Melaka City was the latest location to record unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 113 as at 10 pm Saturday night.

Selki Lee, 26, from South Korea, said the haze did not effect her plans and she intended to continue with her tour of Melaka and visit as many places of interests as possible.

"For me the haze is just like a cloudy weather and I still feel the hot weather here,but it's just fine. I'm enjoying my holidays in Melaka," she added.

She said wearing mask and having bottled water at all times were a must for her and the current haze would not stop her from coming back to Malaysia for another visit.

Lydia Lee, 30, from China, is handling the hazy environment by sparing up some soar throat medicines and by wearing mask.

"This enables me to travel freely and enjoy my travel in Melaka. The haze has not affected my travel plans," she added.

Rose Betrand, 34, from France, said the haze had not prevented her from visiting the beautiful places in Melaka and enjoying her holiday here.

"It is important to drink a lot of water," she said.

As for Nixon Sebastian, 45, a rickshaw peddler in Bandar Hilir, said he was able to earn more during the haze as the cloudy-like weather was good to enjoy the rickshaw ride.

However, he said, he would advise anyone taking a ride on his rickshaw to wear mask.

-- BERNAMA

No Need For Cloud Seeding Now - MET DG
Bernama 11 Sep 15;

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- Cloud seeding will only be conducted if the Air Pollutant Index (API) in a certain area reaches unhealthy level for 72 consecutive hours.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET) director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail, said it is part of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set in the National Haze Action Plan.

"So far, no areas have recorded unhealthy API consistently for 72 hours, but MET is prepared should the need for cloud seeding arises," she told Bernama here today.

She added that there are conditions for implementing cloud seeding, among them are condition of unstable atmosphere, high water vapour content in the atmosphere as well as presence of high and big towering cumulus cloud.

Nonetheless, with dry clouds and little formation of cloud with potential to bring rain, cloud seeding will be a wasted effort, she said, adding that each cloud seeding operation costs between RM50,000 to RM80,000.

Che Gayah also expected the haze to improve in October following the intermonsoon taking place then.

This morning, five areas recorded unhealthy API of more than 100, namely in Samarahan (177), Kuching (165), and Sri Aman (164) in Sarawak and Larkin Lama (111) as well as Pasir Gudang (127) in Johor.

API of between 0 and 50 is good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy) and 301 and above (hazardous).

Meanwhile Health director-general, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement posted on his Facebook page said based on the ministry's monitoring at 17 health clinics, there was no increase in asthma patients, respiratory tract infections, or conjunctivities due to haze.

He said there were 5,070 respiratory tract infection cases reported in the 35th week (Aug 30 to Sept 5) which was lower compared to 6,502 cases in the 34th week (Aug 23-29).

"There were 736 asthma and conjunctivities cases recorded respectively in the 35th week compared to 837 cases the week before," he said.

For National Fishermen Association chairman Datuk Mohamad Dolmat, the concern was more towards the safety of fishermen as visibility was affected by haze.

He said fishermen in small boats determined the distance with only their eye sight unlike bigger ships which could be guided by Global Positioning System (GPS).

"We are also worried of the prolong haze which will adversely affect the income of fishermen," he said.

However to date, Mohamad said there were no reports of any marine accident due to haze.

At the same time, National Sports Institute (ISN) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ramlan Abd Aziz also called on athletes to avoid carrying out activities outdoor and should instead train indoor following the haze.

Athletes were also advised to put on safety mask and drink a lot of water to ensure their health is not afffected.

-- BERNAMA