RAZAK AHMAD The Star 12 Sep 15;
PETALING JAYA: The haze worsened yesterday, especially in parts of Sarawak and the Klang Valley, with the number of areas recording unhealthy air quality readings rising from five at 9am to 16 by 6pm.
Sarawak was the worst hit state with the three highest Air Pollutant Index (API) readings –Samarahan (182), Sri Aman (177) and Kuching (163).
The smog, which occurs almost yearly, is caused by land and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia
An API reading of between 100-200 indicates an unhealthy air quality, 201-300 is very unhealthy while anything above 300 is hazardous. An API of below 50 denotes good air quality while a reading of between 51 and 100 is considered moderate.
The haze also delayed two flights at the Kuching International Airport, grounded helicopters and disrupted ferry services.
Six of the eight areas measured in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor recorded unhealthy air quality.
The highest reading was in Batu Muda, Kuala Lumpur, at 120, followed by Banting (116), Petaling Jaya (115), Shah Alam (114), Port Klang (112) and Putrajaya (108).
The air quality in all three areas listed in Negri Sembilan were unhealthy – Nilai (138), Seremban (127) and Port Dickson (107).
Malacca also recorded unhealthy readings with 115 for Bukit Rambai and 104 for the historic city.
In Johor, Pasir Gudang and Larkin Lama recorded unhealthy API readings at 113 and 107 respectively.
Perlis, Sabah, Terengganu, Penang, Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah and most parts of Perak, meanwhile, recorded either good or moderate air quality readings.
In a statement, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said satellite imagery showed 328 hot spots in Sumatra and 18 in Kalimantan.
“Malaysia is urging Indonesia to take immediate action in handling the rise in the number of hotspots and to raise efforts to put out the fires,” said Wan Junaidi.
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
