Malaysia: Selangor hard hit by haze

New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

SHAH ALAM: The air quality in Selangor appears to be deteriorating with Shah Alam registering an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 226 this morning.

Port Klang is not far behind with an API of 200, just seven points below the very unhealthy category.

The other three stations in Selangor also recorded increasingly worsening API with Banting registering a reading of 181 followed by Petaling Jaya (183), and Kuala Selangor recording 152.

Elsewhere, areas which recorded unhealthy API this morning were Putrajaya (189), Batu Muda (164), Cheras (147), Seremban (150), Port Dickson (117), Nilai (145), Bukit Rambai (120), and Bandaraya Melaka (114).

In the northern states, areas with unhealthy readings include USM (143), Seberang Jaya 2 (143), Perai (120), Tanjung Malim (122), Seri Manjung (143), SK Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh (149), Kg Air Putih, Taiping (118), Jalan Tasek, Ipoh (136), Alor Setar (131), Bakar Arang, Sg Petani (137), and Langkawi (127). Over in Sarawak, areas with unhealthy API readings are Kuching (131), Samarahan (135) and Sarikei (115).


Haze may end when monsoon starts
PATRICK LEEANDWANI MUTHIAH The Star 21 Oct 15;

PETALING JAYA: Even if Indonesian fires burn well into 2016, the haze in Malaysia is likely to end with the coming of the north-east monsoon, which starts next month.

The Meterological Department said winds from the South China Sea heading here then could push the smoke away to the west.

“By early November, we expect to be free from the transboundary haze. We’re going to have the north-east monsoon from the South China Sea,” said director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail.

Referring to a Reuters report that the haze could go on until March, she said that irrespective of burning in Indonesia, Malaysia would not be affected.

She said the haze here, which saw the air pollutant index reading climb to 178 in Port Klang at 5pm yesterday, was expected to improve with Typhoon Koppu now in the Philippines weakening by Oct 26.

In Klang, the town was seriously under assault yesterday.

Visibility was so bad that speedboat operators plying from Port Klang jetty to Pulau Ketam had to depend on their global positioning system (GPS) to find their way about.

Speedboat United Pulau Ketam-Port Klang chairman Lim Hack Tong said it was difficult to navigate the speedboats towards the island without GPS help due to the heavy smog.

He said speedboat operators were finding it difficult to make a living since the haze hit Klang.

He added that speedboat operators mostly depended on tourists and locals visiting Pulau Ketam during the weekends but the numbers had dropped drastically in recent times.

The thick haze has also prompted some schools to take precautionary measures such as directing students to wear masks in the classroom.

Chung Hua Independent High School board of trustees member Datuk Teh Meng Huat said students had to attend classes as they needed to prepare for the Unified Examination Certificate exam, which starts today.

“Although the haze is bad, we cannot close our school due to the examination, so we have asked the students to wear masks during classes,” said Teh.

Northeast monsoon to end the haze?
New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD) does not see the haze prolonging till March as the northeast monsoon season, beginning next month, would bring heavy rainfall.

Its director-general, Datuk Che Gayah Ismail, said the northeast monsoon season would also cause the wind to blow away from the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak.

“The wind during this monsoon season will blow from the sea.

“We are certain that no matter how bad the burning is in Indonesia, it will not come Malaysia’s way,” Che Gayah told the New Straits Times yesterday, adding that Malaysia could expect some reprieve from the haze on Monday.
“The haze is due to the inter-monsoon season, which is blowing the smog this way.”

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said the haze was due to the effects of cyclones caused by the El Nino phenomenon, and if the northeast monsoon season came on time, the change in wind patterns might bring some reprieve by mid-November.

The ministry yesterday also issued a statement to dismiss fake viral Air Pollutant Index (API) readings and news on a “yellow haze” phenomenon circulating via WhatsApp and social media.

It said throughout the period, the Department of Environment (DoE) monitored the haze and the exposure of carbon monoxide had been below the Recommended Malaysia Air Quality Guidelines, which is less than 30 parts per million (ppm) per hour or 35 microgram per meter.

“The readings of the carbon monoxide were below the Recommended Malaysia Air Quality Guidelines, and it does not cause the “yellow haze” phenomenon.”
As of 5pm yesterday, 25 areas recorded unhealthy API readings, but all the readings were below 200 with Port Klang recording the highest API reading at 178.

Environmental Health and Research fellow from the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health, Professor Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim, in explaining the seemingly “yellowish” haze, said it was possibly due to light absorption from other particles, which accumulated in the current stagnant air.

Besides the haze, he said, the air was filled with nitrogen oxide, which comes from local air pollutants such motor vehicles’ fumes.

“The nitrogen oxide can block blue and violet lights from the visible light spectrum, allowing only yellow and red colours through.

“The air is stagnant and whatever we produce will accumulate in the air,” he said adding that the “yellowish haze was unlikely to be toxic as it was only a light phenomenon”.

Additional reporting by Tasnim Lokman and Beatrice Nita Jay


No yellow haze, says DOE
The Star 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Department of the Environment (DOE) has denied the existence of the "yellow haze" phenomena as is being spread on social media.

DOE said its monitoring of the haze situation in the country found the concentration of carbon monoxide was low and did not cause the phenomena.

"The reading on the carbon monoxide concentration is less that the Recommended Malaysia Air Quality Guidelines, that is below 30 ppm (1 hour) or 35 microgrammes per cubic metre (1 hour).

"It does not cause the yellow haze phenomena," DOE said in a statement in clarifying the false information being spread on social media.

DOE drew attention to the fact that the Air Pollutants Index in Malaysia was the best yardstick for measuring the main pollutants in the atmosphere which are fine dust with size less than 10 micrometres (PM10); carbon monoxide; sulphur dioxide; nitrogen dioxie and ozone, in accordance to international standards. - Bernama.

Haze forced two Ipoh-bound flights to land in Subang
BALQIS ARIFFIN New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

IPOH: Two planes that were heading to Ipoh had to be diverted to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang following the severe haze in the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) here this morning.

Manager of Malaysian Airport Holding Berhad LTSAS, Mohd Ali Osman said the plane's flight from Singapore Air ATR72 and ATR72 Firefly from Johor Bharu each should have arrived at the track LTAS at 11.30am and 11.35am respectively.

"Both aircraft should have landed at the airport as scheduled.

"But we got a signal that the two aircrafts were already half way down here have diverted their course to Subang after getting early information on the haze," he said.

Ali said that so far the airport had recorded a visibility of 1,000 meters at 11.30 this morning. "However operation or the airport runway still operated as usual," he said.


Malaysians want action to end haze
VICTORIA BROWN The Star 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.


Schools in several Malaysian state to close for third day due to haze
The areas affected include Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sabah and Perak, which had Unhealthy readings Tuesday afternoon.
Channel NewsAsia 20 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Schools in several parts of Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sabah and Perak, have been advised by the Ministry of Education to close on Wednesday (Oct 21) due to the deteriorating haze conditions.

In a statement on Tuesday, 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 2,528 schools and 1,734,668 students from the mentioned areas will be affected,” said the ministry.

The education ministry said it had been monitoring the haze situation until 4pm and all areas affected had Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in the Unhealthy range.

However schools in Malacca and Negeri Sembilan that were closed on Tuesday will resume classes on Wednesday, along with schools in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak in Sabah, and Muar, Ledang and Segamat in Johor.

- CNA/ek

Only shift in forces of nature can end haze
ARNAZ M. KHAIRUL New Straits Times 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Only a shift in attitude by the forces of nature can put an end to the environmental catastrophe brought by haze in the region.

This is how Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar put the situation into perspective today, as without natural intervention, Malaysians could be faced with hazy conditions until March.

"Our hopes that Indonesia would be able to put out peat fires in Sumatera and Kalimantan earlier this month didn't materialise because of dry weather and wind conditions," said Wan Junaidi.

"We hoped in September that winds from the South China Sea would sweep the haze in Sarawak and the Peninsula to the South.

" But a combination of the Dujuan and Mujigae typhoons in the Philippines, low pressure of winds from the South China Sea, dry conditions brought about by the El Nino effect in Indonesia had worsened the haze."

Riding on the momentum of the typhoons which hit the Philippines coming from the South, winds blew the haze from peat fires in Kalimantan towards the Peninsula.

Wan Junaidi said Malaysia will continue to provide assistance to Indonesia via the National Security Council and although a Bombardier aircraft that has been used effectively for water bombing operations had to be called back yesterday for servicing, it would be despatched back to Sumatra once maintenance is done.

He added that information provided by Indonesian authorities also indicate that the cause of massive forest fires was due to open burning which unforcedly got out of hand and spread to forests due to dry conditions.

"From what we have learned just three percent of the burning was done by multinational companies, while the rest were small holders. It just got out of hand when they failed to control the fires which then spread into the forests," said Wan Junaidi.


Malaysian parliament to debate emergency motion on haze
The Star/ANN AsiaOne 21 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR - The Dewan Rakyat will set aside one hour Wednesday to debate an emergency motion on the worsening haze situation affecting the country.

Hee Loy Sian (PKR-PJ Selatan) tabled the motion in Parliament and deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee allowed it to be debated in the august House.

Hee said that the haze had reached serious levels that were not only affecting health, but also tourism and businesses as well.

One hour will be set aside between 4.30pm to 5.30pm Wednesday for lawmakers to debate the issue plaguing the country.

As of 11am Wednesday morning, several areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.

Among the areas with unhealthy readings are Petaling Jaya (187), Banting (192) and Putrajaya (194).

Port Klang and Shah Alam recorded very unhealthy API readings of 204 and 235 respectively.

"What we can hope for now is for rain to come and put out the fires in Indonesia. On our part here, cloud seeding operations will continue daily in area with an API reading of above 150," he said.