Malaysia’s minister: ‘No excuse’ not to fight open burning
As haze returns to some parts of Malaysia, minister vows to end farmers' traditional way of clearing land
KUALA LUMPUR Bucking up on enforcement, shifting resources and even borrowing cars and equipment - these are some of the measures Minister Yeo Bee Yin is taking to put an end to open burning as Malaysia simmers in a dry and hot season.
Ms Yeo, who holds the Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment portfolio, said she has held meetings with the Department of Environment (DoE) and told them to buck up.
"Only two or three weeks ago, I realised that the DoE doesn't even have cars to conduct enforcement. That is ridiculous. And they don't have enough equipment.
"I am shifting resources from the ministry to DoE to perform their jobs. I told them, 'No excuse. If you don't have cars, I will borrow these for us,'" she said on Wednesday.
Her comments came after reports yesterday that haze has returned to parts of Malaysia, affecting the west coast states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang on the peninsula and Sarawak in east Malaysia.
Air quality levels were unhealthy in Peninsular Malaysia, with the worst air pollutant index (API) reading of 157 in Alor Setar, Kedah.
Other badly affected areas were Sungai Petani in Kedah, Kangar in Perlis and Seberang Jaya and Seberang Perai in Penang, The Straits Times reported.
Conditions in Kuala Lumpur remained at moderate levels, with API readings between 65 and 67. A reading of 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 moderate and 101-200 unhealthy.
The haze in Sarawak has been blamed on the rising number of hotspots in nearby Kalimantan and open burning in the state.
State Natural Resources and Environment Board controller Peter Sawal said 121 hotspots were detected across the Sarawak border with Indonesia on Tuesday, more than double from the day before.
Seven hotspots were also detected in Sarawak.
Singapore's National Environment Agency yesterday said the risk of transboundary haze affecting Singapore is low.
"...The prevailing south-easterly/southerly winds over Singapore are blowing the smoke haze in central Sumatra away from us," said the spokesman in an e-mail to The Straits Times.
Ms Yeo said she had also asked for help from local councils as well as other agencies, such as the Fire and Rescue Department and the Health Ministry, to investigate cases of open burning - a method traditionally carried out by farmers to clear land, The Star reported.
The ministry, said Ms Yeo, was serious in eradicating open burning, which contributed to haze and pollution.
She said: "I want them (the DoE) to give me a plan - there is no 'cannot do'. Open burning is a tricky issue but as a government, we cannot say we cannot solve the problem. But I hope the public will give me some time."
Asked if the ministry would seek to increase the penalties on those found guilty of open burning, Ms Yeo said the current fine of up to RM500,000 (S$168,000), imprisonment for up to five years, or both were "high enough".
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