Melaka: The Melaka government, through the State Disaster Management Committee, has instructed all District Disaster Management Committees to 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 stated that the committees were required to take proactive measures according to guidelines set by the National Haze Action Plan.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Melaka government is responding to the haze that has impacted several areas in the state, 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 Disaster Operations Control Centre with assistance from the Melaka Environment Department and the National Disaster Control Centre under the National Disaster Management Agency.
The highest API readings recorded in Melaka as of 2 am were Alor Gajah with a PM2.5 reading of 157, Bukit Rambai with a reading of 94, and Bandaraya Melaka with a reading of 86, indicating unhealthy levels in Alor Gajah and medium levels in the other areas. The state government has advised the public to take precautionary measures to ensure their general health, particularly for high-risk groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory issues. The public is also advised against open burning.
In Pekan, the Pahang government indicated its readiness to implement school closures if API readings exceed the very unhealthy threshold. State Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohd Ariff highlighted the situation in Temerloh and Balok Baru in Kuantan, where unhealthy API readings were recorded. He urged residents to cease open burning activities to prevent further deterioration of air quality.
Mohammad Fakhruddin emphasized the legal consequences of open burning, noting that offenders can be prosecuted under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, facing fines 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, Temerloh and Balok Baru recorded an API reading of 152 as of 6 pm today.