Malaysia: Malaysians want action to end haze

Victoria Brown The Star/ANN AsiaOne 21 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA - Malaysians are at the end of their tether having to live with the unhealthy air probably until March next year, and are demanding concrete action from both the Government and Indonesia.

Voicing their frustration in cyberspace, many urged the Government to push Indonesia for an end to the forest fires raging in various areas in the republic.

Many commented that the haze should be tackled at the root cause.

"There has been much coverage on the haze, but little on the cause of the forest fires," commented Facebook user Chey Vun Khen.

"The haze will not end until its root cause is solved," he said on The Star Online Facebook page.

The Star on Monday reported that experts predict an increasing number of hotspots and raging fires in new areas in Indonesia.

Along with the El Nino-like conditions, this may mean that Malaysians could be smothered by the haze until March next year.

Facebook user Usun Jau said if the cause was not tackled, the haze would keep coming back in years to come.

"By the time it ends next year, another forest fire would be created again. The cycle goes on and on," said Jau.

Many wanted the endless cycle of haze to be stopped once and for all.

Facebook user Fook Weng Edmond Lee said Malaysia should take a class action lawsuit against Indonesia for the yearly haze problem.

"The economic consequence is enormous," he said.

Readers said that the closure of schools every other day due to the haze was not practical.

Facebook user Siti Fatimah Zahra said that she pitied the school children and teachers because so many activities have been postponed and rescheduled.

"If they keep closing schools on weekly basis, the year end exams will never finish," said April Blossom.

"No more closing schools! Let the kids finish their exams," she said.

Malaysians are also worried about the health effects caused by the haze.


Malay-Muslim NGOs in M’sia to file class action lawsuit against firms causing haze
AsiaOne 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR — Companies that have been using forest fires to clear land in Indonesia will face a class action lawsuit in about a month, several Malay-Muslim groups said today (Oct 21) after voicing frustration over the annual haze problem.

Mr Nadzim Johan, who heads the Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia (PPIM), said the proposed lawsuit will be a good way for those affected by the haze to express their anger against the the firms responsible.

“So we want to collect information, who burns forest, who is the owner and we ask the lawyers that have expertise in legal matter, maybe international laws to gather and discuss with the purpose of taking legal actions against companies, especially Malaysian companies,” he told reporters at a press conference.

Mr Abd Kareem Said Khadaied, another activist present at the media conference, said the Malay-Muslim groups involved in the planned lawsuit are currently in a “fact-finding” process to determine if 10 companies in their list are truly responsible for contributing to the haze.

“We identify the companies, some of the 10 companies are subsidiaries of GLCs and we also know that Malaysia’s GLCs have much involvement with farming in Indonesia.

“So we hope those who are involved, come to us, before we come and find them,” the secretary-general of Muslim group Pertubuhan Tarekat Muktabar Malaysia (Pertama) said.

The Malay-Muslim groups that are currently listed as part of the class action suit include Perkasa, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA), Pewaris, Yayasan Muamalat Belia, Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia.

Mr Abd Kareem later told reporters that the eventual list of non-governmental organisations involved in the lawsuit could easily go up to 250, which he claimed would represent one million consumers.

He said Gabungan Amin, a coalition of 50 Malay-Muslim NGOs that he said he leads, represents half a million consumers and will also be part of the lawsuit.

Like Mr Nadzim who said that any NGO is welcome to join the suit and even lead it, Mr Abd Kareem said that Chinese and Indian groups are also welcomed to do so as the matter transcends racial boundaries.

“The issue at hand has got nothing to do with race, so although the base is basically Malay and Muslim NGOs, we welcome non-Malay NGOs to come with us, because the issue at hand surpasses racial barriers, this is something that affects the entire Malaysian population so we should get together and take collective action,” he said.

Mr Abd Kareem said another action that can be taken is to launch a boycott against companies that are involved in forest burnings, but said time would first be given for these companies to step forward and offer solutions.

“We are in the process of finalising our investigations and before we initiate the boycott, we are giving the room to these people who are responsible to come to us. So we do not want to launch the boycott immediately.

“No, we won’t be contacting them, they will be contacting us. Because they know who they are,” he said, having cautioned that the power of consumers should not be underestimated.

Mr Nadzim said the boycott could be on an international scale, saying that they might ask environmentally-conscious countries to join in the protest and seek for them to be blocked from certain markets like the European Union zone. MALAY MAIL ONLINE


Topsy-turvy days due to haze
The Star 22 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The sudden closure of several schools in Penang in the afternoon has left many fuming.

Parents, teachers, school transporters and canteen operators were caught by surprise and things got topsy-turvy.

In George Town yesterday, a last- minute directive was issued for afternoon school sessions in Penang to close due to the worsening haze.

Education Department director Shaari Osman said he decided at about 11.30am yesterday to suspend the afternoon session when the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading neared 150 and began sending out the directive by facsimile.

He said the decision was made at the last minute as the air quality started to decrease rapidly from 11am.

Some schools, however, claimed that they only got the directive at about 2pm although the afternoon session began at 1.10pm in some schools.

While some schools, which got the directive earlier, turned away students sent by their parents at the gates, others were caught in a dilemma as they only knew about the closure after all their students had arrived.

At Convent Green Lane (CGL), parents were surprised when they arrived with their children only to be told that the afternoon session had been suspended.

One parent, P.D. Joan, said she even called the school at 12.30pm to check if the afternoon session had been suspended due to the haze but was told that it would proceed.

“When I arrived at 12.50pm with my daughter, a Rela guard on duty told me that there was no school. I then called the school again and was told that they had just received the directive,” she said.

But unlike CGL, many schools in the state only received the directive after the afternoon sessions had started.

SK Seberang Jaya 1 pupils in Taman Siakap on the mainland were seen in their classrooms at 3.30pm.

Pupils of SJK (C) Moh Ghee Pusat in Perak Lane were also seen leaving the school about 2pm.

When contacted, the clerk confirmed that the school received the directive late.

Izeham Abd Hamid, the father of a Year Four pupil, expressed disappointment over the last-minute announcement.

“Action needs to be taken early. There is no need to wait until the situation gets critical to close the school.

“Many parents are working and not everyone is available to pick up their children at the last minute. Schoolbuses also have other passengers to ferry,” he said, adding that the directive should have been issued before the session started.

A canteen operator, who declined to be named, said a lot of food ended up going to waste due to the last-minute notice.

“The school informed us after 1pm, but it was too late as we had already prepared the food,” she said.

A total of 95 school sessions were stopped in Penang yesterday.

The closing of schools is a reflection of what has been happening on the ground daily in the last few months since the haze took over the Malaysian sky.

Many schools in other states, including Selangor, the Federal Territories, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Sarawak, have been closed since Monday.

In those four days, parents and teachers have not been getting proper updates and have to painstakingly check many avenues to see if the schools are going to be open or closed the next day.

The daily routine then continues with them making arrangements for babysitters, cancelling transports or applying for emergency leave.

In Kuala Muda and Yan, Kedah, many parents were unaware that schools in the two districts were closed due to the haze.

In Johor, teachers handling the Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia (SPM) subjects are complaining about having to race against time to make sure their students are well-prepared to sit for the exam early next month.

Today, schools in Penang, Putra­jaya, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Kedah, Perlis, Negri Sembilan and some areas in Pahang and Sarawak will remain closed.


School exams will go on as planned
The Star 22 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Public exams and school exams will go on as normal, even with the haze.

Education director-general Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said students sitting for this year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) should wear face masks during the exam.

“Schools will help if they can. If not, students should bring their own face masks to school,” he told reporters after presenting prizes during the Pembestarian Sekolah 2015 award ceremony at the ministry’s Educational Technology Divi­sion.

The SPM will take place from Nov 2 to Dec 8.

Schools have been closed by the ministry due to unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings.

Dr Khair said there would be no replacements for the days when schools were closed due to the haze.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said yesterday that contingency plans were in place if the haze worsened during the crucial end-of-year examinations.


Schools in several Malaysian states to close for fourth day due to haze
The areas affected include Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sabah and Perak, which had Unhealthy readings Wednesday afternoon.
Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: For a fourth day this week, schools in several parts of Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sabah and Perak, have been advised by the Ministry of Education to close on due to deteriorating haze conditions.

In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 20) , the ministry said the affected areas are: Selangor; Putrajaya; Kuala Lumpur; Kuching, Padawan, Bau Lundu, Serian, Samrahan, Simunjan and Lubok Antu in Sarawak; Kinta Utara, Kinta Selatan, Manjung and Tanjung Malim in Perak; and Kuala Muda/Yan in Kedah.

“A total of 4,778 schools and 2,696,110 students from the mentioned areas will be affected,” said the ministry.

- CNA/yt


Haze moves north, five areas with very unhealthy air
The Star 22 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA: The haze that had enveloped most of the southern parts of the peninsula on Wednesday seemed to have moved north.

While the Air Pollutant Index reading for Port Klang and Shah Alam moved back to the unhealthy range on Thursday morning (from very unhealthy on Wednesday), residents in Perlis and Penang are breathing very unhealthy air.

At 8am Thursday, the API (at very unhealthy levels) for some areas are: Kangar (235), Alor Setar (218), Bakar Arang, Sg Petani (237), Langkawi (230), Seberang Perai 2 (262) and USM (228).

Other areas (unhealthy levels): Banting (122), Kuala Selangor (149), Port Klang (161), Petaling Jaya (116), Shah Alam (139), Kemaman (106), Kuala Terengganu (108), Batu Muda, KL (122), Cheras (100), Putrajaya (118), Kuching (125), Tawau (117), Samarahan (131), Sarikei (108), Sibu (109), Sri Aman (162), Kota Baru (122), Tanah Merah (119), Malacca (102), Bukit Rambai (105), Nilai (102), Seremban (106), Port Dickson (95), Jalan Tasek, Ipoh (157), Kg Air Putih, Taiping (163), SK Jalan Pagoh, Ipoh (173), Seri Manjung (183), Tanjung Malim (135), Perai (187).

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


Afternoon school sessions in Penang suspended
The Star 22 Oct 15

GEORGE TOWN: The afternoon session for primary and secondary schools in Penang have been suspended due to the haze.

State Education Director Sharri Osman said the announcement was only made today (Wednesday).

"Schools in the afternoon sessions are close today. Tomorrow if any changes are made the announcement will be made by the Education Ministry," he said in a text statement.

A teacher at a primary school in Bayan Lepas said headmasters and principles in Penang were informed about the schools' suspension at 1.34pm.

"Classes are usual for us but parents can pick up their children if they wish to do so," said the teacher.

The Air Pollutant Index at Universiti Sains Malaysia is at the unhealthy range of 153.


Haze: 34 flights in and out of Langkawi cancelled
New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

LANGKAWI: Low visibility due to the worsening haze condition in Langkawi has forced another 12 flights scheduled to arrive and depart the Langkawi International Airport to be cancelled as at 2pm today, raising the total to 34 flights cancelled today.

Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAB) manager for Langkawi, Jefri Ramli told Bernama that the decision was following Air Pollutant Index (API) hovering at 149, which is considered unhealthy. Jefri said the total number of flights cancelled today was 34.

“The Langkawi International Airport is still operating.

The decision to cancel the flights was made by the respective airlines following information from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) about the haze and visibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, Langkawi District Education officer Marzuki Daud, said all schools in the Island would be closed tomorrow as the API has reached the unhealthy level.

Marzuki said since yesterday afternoon the haze condition had worsened in Langkawi and that it was the second time Langkawi was engulfed by the haze after a similar occurrence early this month.--BERNAMA


10 flights cancelled in Penang
PHUAH KEN LIN New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

GEORGE TOWN: Ten flights to Penang have been cancelled due to worsening haze condition as of 4pm today. Penang International Airport senior manager Ariff Jaafar said eight Firefly flights bound for Penang from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang were called off due to low visibility. He said and two AirAsia flights bound for Penang from Langkawi were grounded in view of the unsafe flying condition. "Eight Firefly flights into Penang between 3pm and 9pm while the AirAsia flights scheduled to depart for Penang from Langkawi at 5.50pm had been scrapped," Ariff said. Meanwhile, he said four AirAsia flights bound for Penang from Medan, Indonesia had been delayed due to the unfavourable weather condition. The visibility has dropped from 900 meters yesterday to a mere 500 meters as of 4pm.


Maritime, aviation industries suffer losses
ILI LIYANA MOKHTAR New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s aviation and maritime industries are suffering losses due to cancelled flights and trips, no thanks to the haze.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the haze, which has resulted in poor visibility, had required ships and aircraft to cancel their trips due to industry protocols.

Liow said, according to protocol, flights have to be cancelled if visibility is less than 600 metres.

For ships, the visibility has to be less than one nautical mile.

However, he said the ministry had yet to receive exact figures on the losses incurred by the industries.

“We don't have the exact figures for the losses incurred yet as the ministry is currently looking into the matter,” he told a press conference during the launch of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Vocational Institute here today.


Campaign launched to aid Kalimantan residents affected by haze
DANIAL ALBAKRI The Star 21 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA: The Care 4 Kalimantan campaign is seeking the help of Malaysians to aid the people of Kalimantan who are the worst affected by the unrelenting haze.

The focus of the campaign is on communities in Kalimantan, who suffer the brunt of the haze and have had to bear Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings of up to 1,889.

Many people in the region suffer from Acute Respiratory Infection caused by the particles borne in the haze.

The campaign is specifically looking for donations of N95 masks, eye drops and adult safety goggle as well as monetary donations.

A crowd-funding page has also been set up to collect monetary donations with the goal of raising US$3,100 (RM13,314).

Funds raised will be used to pay for the purchase of the items and to cover the cost of packaging and shipping them over to Kalimantan.

The campaign also plans to send a team of 10 volunteers to Kalimantan to help distribute the items as well as to educate local residents on the importance of using N95 masks while the haze persists.

Together with collecting physical and monetary donations, there is also a social media campaign requesting Malaysians to pledge their support for the campaign.

Those who want to help are asked to take a picture of themselves with a simple message of support and to share the picture on social media using the hashtag #Care4Kalimantan.

The campaign, organised by the Rotaract Club of Bangsar, works in collaboration with Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Kalimantan and Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia.

Both these local organisations have a direct presence in the affected communities and will be helping with the distribution of items to the targeted communities.

For more details on the Care 4 Kalimantan campaign, visit its Facebook page or the Indiegogo crowd-funding page.


Haze: RM10k worth of fake face masks seized
New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

LABUAN: The Office of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism here seized 2,149 fake respirator face masks worth RM10,745, from two hardware premises here on yesterday.

The seized fake items bore the name of a popular Canadian brand while the fake was made in Korea.

State chief enforcement officer Mohd Fikri Lai Abdullah described the seizure as the biggest so far this year, involving an imitation product.

He told a press conference today that the seizure was the result of a one-day operation following public complaints.

He said based on preliminary investigations, the fake was sold at RM5 as compared to the genuine product costing RM6 each.--BERNAMA



‘M’sia will adopt PM2.5 air quality reading method next year’
Today Online 22 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Malaysia is to fully adopt the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading method that can measure fine particles less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) by end of 2016, Bernama reported, citing Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

The minister said PM2.5 would provide a more accurate measurement of the country’s API, compared with the current way of measuring fine dust of less than 10 microns (PM10), according to the state news agency.

“Installation should be done in stages as there are more than 50 monitoring stations in the country, compared with only five or six in Singapore, that’s why they can implement the PM2.5 measurement since 2014.

“In fact, another 13 monitoring stations will be built after the implementation of the PM2.5 particulate measurement,” he was quoted as saying at the parliament lobby yesterday (Oct 21).

The API reading parameter currently used in Malaysia was still acceptable and in accordance with international standards, Mr Wan Junaidi said, according to Bernama.

Mr Wan Junaidi also denied widespread reports on social media about “yellow haze” in Malaysia, advising people to always check the validity of any haze-related news before believing or spreading it.

“The truth is, there is no yellow haze as the Department of Environment (DOE) said it. It (yellow haze) happens in Indonesia but it doesn’t happen here (Malaysia),” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.