ENFORCEMENT STEPPED UP
The Department of Environment said that it has “stepped up enforcement action” and daily patrols in areas where open burning may potentially occur.
“(Malaysia’s) National Open Burning Action Plan and National Haze Action Plan have been activated to coordinate government agencies’ efforts to tackle open burning and respond to the country’s haze situation,” the statement added.
The action plans were activated earlier this month when Sarawak began recording unhealthy API readings.
Under the haze action plan, all outdoor activities have to be suspended when API readings exceed 100. Schools, kindergartens and nurseries have to be closed immediately when readings exceed 200.
Cloud seeding operations will also be carried out when API readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours.
The department also advised landowners to closely monitor areas susceptible to or frequently affected by fires, such as landfills, forests, peatlands, plantations, and agricultural and industrial areas.
“They should also take measures to prevent trespassing by irresponsible parties that could result in open burning, whether deliberate or accidental,” it said.
On Sunday, Malaysia Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the ministry has recorded a sharp surge in asthma and upper respiratory tract infection cases as haze conditions affect several parts of the country, local media reported.
Several days before that, Sarawak state authorities ordered a two-day closure of 591 schools across 10 districts as haze conditions worsened in the East Malaysia state.
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