Malaysia: 'Schools can close immediately if API reach very unhealthy level'

Adib Povera, Veena Babulal New Straits Times 3 Aug 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: Schools in areas which register unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) of more than 100 have been reminded to restrict outdoor activities, said Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.

She said if the API reading reached a very unhealthy level of 200, school administrations were allowed to close schools immediately without the Education Ministry’s permission.

“The standard operating procedure has been established,” she told the New Straits Times.

She shared with the NST a circular on ways to ensure students’ health and safety if the haze continued to persist. The circular, dated Jan 15, was issued by the ministry to directors of state Education Departments.

According to the circular, students have been advised to protect themselves by wearing masks and drinking lots of water.

Parents are allowed to not send their children to school over health precautions during the haze situation, provided that they inform the school management.

School administrations are required to immediately inform parents or guardians if their children become unhealthy due to any worsening haze situation.

The circular reminded school administrations to frequently check API readings and the haze situation in their areas or districts via the media or by visiting the Department of Environment’s website at http://apims.doe.gov.my.

It was reported in March that the ministry had allowed schools to decide whether to stop outdoor activities, as well as run and close classes if the haze situation in their respective areas continued to worsen.

As at 5pm yesterday, only Kuala Terengganu recorded an unhealthy API reading of 113. The readings at 66 API stations around the country were moderate. Only the API station in Tawau, Sabah, registered a good reading of 28.

The Fire and Rescue Department said it would focus on air patrols in Sepang and Banting to stop open burning.

Its director-general, Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, said the two hotspots were classified as “at risk” areas as they were located along the flight path for aircraft and known for peat fires.

He said attention would be given to high-risk areas in Johor, Perak, Pahang and the Klang Valley.

“We have taken necessary steps as we do not want any fire to break out, especially at the hotspots. The people are advised to restrict outdoor activities, especially those suffering from asthma or respiratory illnesses.”

Haze may subside next month, says expert
Adib Povera, Veena Babulal New Straits Times 2 Aug 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Meteorological Department has advised Malaysians to dig in for the long term, at least until next month, for the threat of the haze to finally be over.

While light showers next week were expected to bring some relief from the current hazy conditions, the presence of the “hot and dry” southwest monsoon meant that the haze threat remained present until the hotspot areas in Indonesia were put out.

Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, director of the National Weather and Geophysics Operations Centre of the Meteorological Department, said current conditions were not favourable for rain.

“Our readings indicate that there will be rain next week, but it’s difficult for us to experience any rain at the moment,” he said.

“We are now in the midst of the southwest monsoon, which means the wind blowing is not only hot and dry, but also blowing from the source of most of the hotspots in Kalimantan.

“There are also two low pressure cyclones developing in the West Pacific and the northern part of the South China Sea, which are sucking out all the moisture.”

He said as a whole, Malaysia might only be out of the woods in the middle of next month when the monsoon eventually dissipates.

However, he said, relief could come if Indonesia continued its momentum in aggressively putting out its forest fires.

“The effect may not be immediate as the wind is blowing smoke persistently, but when the fires are put out, the conditions should recover not long after.”

The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), on Thursday, activated the Level 2 Alert of its transboundary haze advisory for the southern Asean region.

Level 2 of the four-level alert (from Level 0 until Level 3) is activated when the number of hotspots exceeds 150 with dense smoke, dry weather persisting and prevailing winds blowing towards countries in the region for two consecutive days.

Dry weather, the Singapore-based centre said, continued to persist in the region despite scattered showers under the influence of Tropical Storm Wipha that fell over in many parts of the region as at 6.44pm on Thursday.

“Persistent hotspot clusters were detected in the Riau and Jambi provinces in Sumatra and central Kalimantan,” it said.

“Moderate to dense smoke haze has been observed to emanate from the hotspot clusters, giving rise to significant accumulation of smoke haze over these areas.

“The smoke haze from hotspots in Riau and Jambi is being blown by the prevailing southerly and south-easterly winds towards the Straits of Malacca.”

The centre was established in 1993 as a regional collaboration programme among the National Meteorological Services of Asean countries.

Based on the surveillance by satellites belonging to United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 39 hotspots and three spots were detected in Sumatra and Kalimantan on Aug 1.

According to ASMC’s website, there were five hotspots in Malaysia. Three of the hotspots were located in the peninsular, while two others were detected in Sarawak.

“Over the next few days, scattered showers can be expected over the northern Asean region. The prevailing winds blowing from the west or southwest are forecast to strengthen.

“In the southern Asean region, dry weather is expected to persist, with prevailing winds blowing from the southeast or southwest.

“Under the prevailing dry conditions, an escalation in hotspot activities and a deterioration in smoke haze situation can be expected,” ASMC said.

Checks with the Department of Environment showed the Air Pollutant Index (API) station in Kuala Terengganu registered an unhealthy reading of 113 as at 5pm yesterday.

Haze enveloped the state capital’s skyline, with API readings recorded at 112 at 8am, and rising to 115 at noon.

The hazy conditions did not deter families from visiting the new drawbridge in Kuala Terengganu, which opened to the public on Thursday.

The API readings in 66 other stations nationwide, however, were moderate. Only the API station in Tawau, Sabah, recorded a good reading of 28.