Haze: Melaka Gov't Activates District Disaster Management Committees With Immediate Effect

MELAKA, July 21 (Bernama) -- The Melaka government, through the State Disaster Management Committee, has instructed that all District Disaster Management Committees be activated with immediate effect after several states in the country were affected by haze recently.

The Melaka Chief Minister’s Department’s corporate communications division also said that the committees were required to take proactive measures according to guidelines set by the National Haze Action Plan.

“The Melaka government takes note of the haze that has hit several areas in the state, which is believed to be cross-border haze carried by south-westerly winds.

“Continuous monitoring of the Air Pollution Index (API) is being conducted by the Melaka Diaster Operations Control Centre with the help of the Melaka Environment Department (DOE) and the National Disaster Control Centre under the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA),” the department said in a statement today.

The highest API readings recorded in Melaka as of 2 am were Alor Gajah (Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 with a reading of 157), Bukit Rambai (PM2.5 with a reading of 94) and Bandaraya Melaka (PM2.5 with a reading of 86), indicating that Alor Gajah API was at unhealthy level, while Bukit Rambai and Bandaraya Melaka were at medium levels.

The state government also advised the public to take precautionary measures in ensuring their general health.

“High risk groups like children, the elderly and individuals suffering from respiratory problems are advised to reduce outdoor activities for the time being. The public is also advised not to carry out any open burning,” it said in a statement today.

In PEKAN, the Pahang government said it is prepared to implement school closures in the state if the API readings exceed the very unhealthy threshold.

State Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff said this in response to reports of haze affecting two areas —Temerloh and Balok Baru in Kuantan — which recorded unhealthy API readings today. 

He also urged residents in the state to stop all open burning activities to prevent the situation from worsening. 

“Given the hot weather (and the transboundary haze phenomenon) affecting several states, the public is advised to avoid contributing to air pollution, such as through open burning … let’s ensure there is no indiscriminate burning,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending a community engagement event with Seri Mahkota polling district leaders and presenting contributions at Kampung Padang Geroda today.

Mohammad Fakhruddin also said that anyone found carrying out open burning can be prosecuted under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which carries a fine of up to RM500,000 or five years’ imprisonment, or both.

According to data from the Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index Management System website, both Temerloh and Balok Baru recorded an API reading of 152 as of 6 pm today.

-- BERNAMA