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Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 6 Sep 19; KUCHING: The haze in Sarawak worsened today, with visibility in the state capital here reduced to 1.2km. Five other areas are also shrouded in smoke and recorded Air Pollution Index (API) readings of �unhealthy� as of 9am. Sri Aman registered the highest API of 166, followed by Miri at 133, Kuching at 125, Sibu at 123 and Sarikei at 109. Stations in Kuala Baram, Bintulu, Samalaju, Mukah, Kapit, Limbang and Miri recorded moderate API readings of between 62 and 99, said Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee secretariat, Major Ismail Mahedin. Meanwhile, motorists in Kuching have been advised to exercise extra caution amidst reduced visibility. The haze is believed to be caused by 455 hotpots which have been detected in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Four hotspots have also been detected in Betong, Serian, Bintulu and Miri. An API reading of 0 to 50 is categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and ...

Reuters New Straits Times 6 Sep 19; JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia�s science ministry will urge Indonesia to take immediate action to fight haze, it said on Friday, as Jakarta detected a spike in the number of hot spots indicating worsening forest fires across the archipelago. During the dry season, Indonesian farmers use fire to clear land, often for palm and pulp plantations, but the flames can rage out of control to produce a choking haze that spreads to neighbours like Singapore and Malaysia. A mild El Nino weather pattern this year has aggravated the impact of fires, with the number of hot spots rising to the highest since devastating fires in 2015. In a statement, Malaysia�s ministry of science, technology and innovation said it would �send a diplomatic note to Indonesia, so immediate action will be taken to put out the fires and prevent repeated burning.� A spokesman for Indonesia�s foreign ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, declined immediate comment, but said he would check if Jakart...

Antara 7 Sep 19; Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Pekanbaru meteorology station reported that 448 hotspots were observed throughout Sumatra Island, comprising 154 hotspots in Riau Province�s eight districts on Saturday morning, depleting the air quality in parts of the province. Of the total figure, 60 were spotted in Pelalawan District, 42 in Indragiri Hulu, 34 in Indragiri Hilir, six in Meranti, five in Kuansing, three in Bengkalis, and two respectively in Kampar and Rokan Hilir, Ahmad Agus Widodo, analyst at the Pekanbaru meteorology station, remarked here on Saturday. At least 97 of the 154 hotspots had developed into firespots, strongly suggestive of forest fires. A total of 45 firespots were found in Pelalawan, 25 in Indragiri Hulu, 19 in Indragiri Hilir, one in Kuansing, three in Meranti, and two each in Rokan Hilir and Bengkalis. The air quality in parts of Riau was considered unhealthy, including in Rokan Hilir and Pekanbaru, where the air quality was also very unhealthy. Last ...

N. TRISHA The Star 5 Sep 19; Stifling situation: Motorists driving on the Penang Bridge that is barely visible. GEORGE TOWN: The public have been told to wear masks while outdoors as the state is expected to be hit by prolonged hazy conditions. The advice came from state environment committee chairman Phee Boon Poh. �The haze is here to stay as we are approaching the inter-monsoon period before the north-east monsoon starts in October. �We have been monitoring the situation and over the past three days, the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings were between 75 and 88. �The readings on the island are always higher than the mainland. �Although it may still be below the critical level, we appeal to the people to avoid strenuous exercise, especially in urban areas. �If you want to exercise, it will be better to go to parks such as the Penang Botanic Gardens or the Penang City Park,� he said. A check with the Environment Department website at 1pm yesterday showed that the readings in Seberang...

Antara 4 Sep 19; Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The LAPAN satellite image data showed 949 hotspots were spotted in West Kalimantan on Sept 3-4, 2019, a notable surge, from 15 hotspots on Sept 2-3, according to the Supadio-Pontianak meteorology station. Of the total, 433 hotspots were found in Ketapang District, 123 in Sintang, 102 in Sanggau, 87 in Sekadau, 61 in North Kayong, 49 in Landak, 41 in Melawi, 29 in Kubu Raya, 14 in Bengkayang, six in Kapuas Hulu and Sambas, Erika Mardiyanti, head of the meteorology station, stated here on Wednesday. West Kalimantan Deputy Governor Ria Norsan noted that the provincial administration had issued Government Regulation No. 39 of 2019 on Prevention and Mitigation of Forest Fires to curtail slash and burn practices. West Kalimantan Police Chief Insp. Gen. Didi Haryono confirmed that the West Kalimantan Police had arrested 52 suspects in land and forest fire cases in the province. "A total of 52 suspects were arrested in 44 cases comprisi...

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 2 Sep 19; JOHOR BARU: Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal (pic) has urged the public, in particular, farmers, not to conduct any open burning during the current hot spell. He said the public must understand the difficulties faced by the Fire and Rescue Department to put out fires during the dry season. For instance, he said firemen had been battling a forest fire in Kampung Pekajang, Gelang Patah, for more than 12 days. �The area is mostly peat soil where the underground heat can spread the fire quickly but (it) takes a long time to be doused, which is why we hope people will not do any open burning, � he said after officiating the state-level Maal Hijrah celebration yesterday. A total of 140 firemen along with personnel from other agencies have been working round the clock to douse the fire, which is believed to have been caused by the hot and dry weather since Aug 21. They have been using �total flooding� as well as �fire break� techniques to prevent the...

Stephen Then The Star 3 Sep 19; MIRI: Firefighters dousing the remains of forests ravaged by wildfires in the Kuala Baram district in northern Sarawak have uncovered dead animals, including a leopard cat. Miri Fire and Rescue Department said Bomba firefighters and voluntary firefighters from land developer Naim Cendera Sdn Bhd were dousing burning ambers near the Industrial Training Institute and Hamidah Orphanage, when they found the dead animals. Miri fire chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said the discovery was made on Tuesday morning (Sept 3). He said he had informed the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC). "The feedback I got from the SFC is that the dead wildlife is possibly a leopard cat. "It's such a pity," Supt Law said in his latest updates on the forest fires' aftermath. "Firefighters are combing the burnt areas to snuff out burning amber that are still causing smog," he added. Malaysian Nature Society Miri branch also expressed sadness that many spec...

Antara 3 Sep 19; Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - Few wild elephants fled their habitats, entering residential areas after wildfires spread through the Tesso Nilo National Park, Riau Province, for the past week, the Natural Resources Conservation Office (BBKSDA) stated here, Tuesday. Riau BBKSDA Chief Andi Hansen Siregar remarked that the national park's rangers had conducted monitoring of the movement of wild Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) from the rainforest to Bongkal Malang Village in Indragiri Hulu District. Following a tip-off from villagers, two wild Sumatran elephants were spotted roaming around the plantation areas. "Some secondary traces, such as dirt and footprints, were found. These elephants had roamed for two days," Siregar stated. An initial identification launched by the rangers indicated that one of the wild animals was an adult male Sumatran elephant that had allegedly destroyed the villager's palm plantation. Despite detection of their t...

Today Online 2 Sep 19; SINGAPORE: There were 555 vegetation fires in Singapore in the first half of this year, a 56 per cent increase from the 356 cases in the same period last year, said Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Monday (Sep 2). Mr Shanmugam was responding to a question submitted in Parliament by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leon Perera, who had asked what measures were being taken to ensure the early detection of vegetation fires and the efficient deployment of resources to handle them. In his written reply, Mr Shanmugam noted that the number of vegetation fires has risen in recent years due to factors such as drier and hotter weather. The inter-agency Wildfire Task Force Committee, which is led by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), is tasked with coordinating measures to minimise the risk of vegetation fires, he said. �During the dry season, members will step up patrols of hotspots to enable early detection, as well as adopt preventive measures such a...

Antara 2 Sep 19; Manado, North Sulawesi (ANTARA) - Sixteen sub-districts in eight districts and municipalities in North Sulawesi have braced for drought during the current severe dry season, according to Muhamad Candra Buana, spokesman of the North Minahasa climatology station. The eight districts and municipalities were Manado, Bitung, Bolaang Mongondow, North Bolaang Mongondow, East Bolaang Mongondow, Southeast Minahasa, North Minahasa, and Sitaro Islands, he said here on Monday. In Bitung, severe dry spell affected the sub-districts of Aertembaga, North Lembeh and Matuari. In Manado, the drought-hit sub-districts were Mapanget, Malalayang and Bunaken. In Bolaang Mongondow, Bolaang and North Dumoga sub-distr4icts were hit by extreme dry season. The other sub-districts facing drought were Central Siau and Tagulandang in Sitaro Islands, Kotabunan in East Bolaang Mongondow, West Likupang, East Likupang and Wori in North Minahasa, Ratahan in Southeast Minahasa, and Kaidipang in North Bo...

Reuters 29 Aug 19; JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian police are investigating three palm oil companies on suspicion of starting fires on Borneo island, where environmentalists say extensive deforestation has occurred to make way for plantations, a government ministry said. The Ministry of the Environment and Forests is also investigating 24 other companies on Borneo and Sumatra island in connection with fires in their concession area, Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry�s director general for law enforcement, told reporters. �Previously, we focused more on bringing suspects to civil courts and giving administrative sanctions. But with the forest fires still taking place in 2019, we are using criminal instruments more intensively,� Sani said. Sani identified the three companies designated as suspects by their company initials, SKM, ABP and AER. The burning of forests has become hugely contentious, partly because if can send a heavy haze over other parts of Southeast Asia, raising fears about h...

Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 30 Aug 19; A thick blanket of haze from forest fires has forced schools in Dumai, Riau, to dismiss their students early. On Wednesday, four principals from different elementary schools asked the Dumai Education Agency for permission to dismiss their students early because of the increasing severity of the haze. �They went home at 10 a.m. We asked the principals to tell the students� parents to pick their children up at school so they wouldn�t wander around after school,� Dumai Education Agency secretary Dedy said on Wednesday. He also said that so far the regional administration had not released an official order to put school activities on hold. �We leave that decision to each school�s respective principal. If they are worried the haze will put the students� health at risk, feel free to dismiss the students early,� Dedy said. Aside from disrupting school activities, the increasing haze has also disrupted flight schedules at Pinang Kampai Airport. The ai...

Today Online 26 Aug 19; SINGAPORE � Singapore experienced slightly hazy conditions on Monday (Aug 26) morning as a result of a brief shift in the direction of the prevailing winds, which blew from the southwest on Sunday, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said. In an update on Monday evening, NEA said that the �slightly hazy conditions gradually improved when the prevailing winds strengthened to blow from the south-southeast�. �There were also thundery showers over the island (on Monday),� it said. It added that as of 6pm on Monday, the 24-hr PSI was between 68 and 80, in the moderate range, and the 1-hr PM2.5 concentration readings were 7-30 �g/m3, which was in Band I (Normal). ADVERTISEMENT NEA cautioned that Singapore may continue to experience slightly hazy conditions when the prevailing winds shift to blow from the southwest. It noted though, that thundery showers can be expected in Singapore �for the next few days�. �An increase in shower activities is (also) forecast over S...

New Straits Times 26 Aug 19; JOHOR BARU: Firefighters at Kampung Pekajang in Iskandar Puteri, near here, are winning a battle to extinguish a massive forest fire which grew to almost 100 hectares on Sunday. As of early today (Aug 26), personnel from the Johor Fire and Rescue Department have successfully doused 45 per cent of the blaze which began on Friday, Bernama reported. Originally 16 hectares in size, the wildfire grew to 98 hectares due to strong winds and dry conditions in the state. However, 79 firefighters � including senior officers � from 10 stations have worked around the clock and are bringing the massive fire under control. It is learnt that five 20,000-litre capacity tankers were used to transport water to the site, as water at a nearby river was deemed insufficient to douse the flames. The firefighters still have a long way to go before they can completely snuff out the blaze, however. �Based on the current situation, (the operation) is expected to take (another) four ...

Goh Pei Pei New Straits Times 25 Aug 19; KUCHING: Heavy downpour this morning and hours of fire fighting operation finally managed to extinguish the forest and peat fire which has plagued the Industrial Training Institute (ILP) station in Miri. The forest and peat fire caused one of the worst haze episodes recorded in the country�s history. Miri Fire and Rescue Department chief Superintendent Law Poh Kiong said 68 personnel from the fire and rescue department, Civil Defence Force (APM), Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Department of Environment and Emergency Response Team from from Naim Land Sdn Bhd began to put out fire at the site since 8am. �The operation was temporary and had to be called off at 9am due to heavy downpour and resumed at 9.45am. The rains helped bring the blaze under control. �We successfully extinguished the forest fire which affected about 30-acre at 4.30pm today, through the efforts of various agencies,� he said. The patrol teams, he added, would continue to monitor...

Antara 26 Aug 19; The Pekanbaru City Health Office reported that the number of people suffering from acute respiratory tract infection in the Riau provincial capital between July and August 2019 reached 7,745. "The figure is based on reports from all public health service posts (Puskesmas) in Pekanbaru City, comprising 3,540 cases recorded in July and 4,205 cases in August," acting chief of the Pekanbaru City Health Office, Muhammad Amin, said in Pekanbaru on Monday. The increase in the number of those suffering from acute respiratory tract infection in the past couple of months is a result of the haze from land and forest fires in a number of districts and cities in Riau province, as well as in neighboring provinces. However, the increase is relatively small, at 900 per month compared to more than 3 thousand in August 2018 when no haze was found, he said. "In August 2019, the number has already reached more than 4 thousand. This means that not all those suffering from ...

REMAR NORDIN The Star 23 Aug 19; ISKANDAR PUTERI: The state Fire and Rescue Department has built a trench to stop the forest fire at Jalan Tanjung Kupang, Kampung Pekajang from spreading. Its operation commander Sarhan Akmal Mohamad said the fire, which started since 11.45am on Wednesday (Aug 21), has now spread to 40 acres. �A total of 70 Fire and Rescue Department personnel from 10 stations from Zone 1 (Johor Baru, Pasir Gudang, Kulai and Pontian) have been deployed to help fight the fire. �We have conducted aerial monitoring to find the best way to contain the blaze, � he said in a statement here on Friday (Aug 23). He added that the department was currently organising its strategies aside from looking out for nearby water source that could be used to help put out the forest fire. State Housing, Communications and Multimedia Committee chairman Dzulkefly Ahmad, who visited the area, said the Johor Baru Disaster Action Committee would be having their first meeting on Friday to discus...

STEPHEN THEN The Star 22 Aug 19; MIRI: Two schools in Kuala Baram in northern Sarawak have been shut down until further notice, effective noon on Thursday (Aug 22), following worsening haze caused by forest fires. The Sarawak Disaster Relief Management Committee announced that SK Kuala Baram 2 and SJK Chung Hua Tudan have been told they must close. "The Air Pollutant Index near the schools has reached 223 and both will close until further notice," said the committee secretariat. SK Kuala Baram has about 600 pupils and teaching staff, while SJK Chung Hua Tudan has more than 1,300 pupils and teachers. The forest fires in Kuala Baram are worsening, causing a sharp rise in the air pollution. Principals given power to close schools over haze in S�wak The Star 20 Aug 19; KUCHING: School principals in Sarawak can close their schools if the air pollutant index (API) hits 200 and above, says Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah. The Deputy Chief Minister said it was the standard operating proce...

Antara 24 Aug 19; Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA) - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) Station in Pekanbaru, Riau Province, confirmed the presence of 584 hotspots on Sumatra Island suggestive of forest fires on Saturday morning. Of the total, 272 hotspots were detected in Riau, over twice the 112 hotspots found on Friday afternoon, Nia Fadhila, the Pekanbaru BMKG station's analyst, stated here on Saturday. A total of 128 hotspots were found in Jambi Province, 99 in South Sumatra, 41 in Bangka Belitung, 18 in Lampung, 11 each in West Sumatra and Riau Islands, and four in Bengkulu. Some 102 hotspots covered Pelalawan District in Riau, 90 in Indragiri Hilir, 35 in Bengkalis, 17 in Indragiri Hulu, nine each in Meranti Islands and Siak, seven in Rokan Hilir, two in Kuansing, and one in Kampar. Furthermore, 192 of the total 272 hotspots in Riau were believed to be fire spots, with 76 in Pelalawan, 60 in Indragiri Hulu, and 29 in Bengkalis. Fadhila pointed out that haze had bla...