OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
BEAUFORT: Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menzahirkan rasa sedih serta keprihatinan terhadap rakyat yang ditimpa musibah banjir di Sabah, kata wakilnya yang juga Setiausaha Politik Kanan kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.
Sambil menyifatkan kebajikan rakyat terus menjadi keutamaan Perdana Menteri, Shamsul berkata, masalah banjir di negeri itu juga diharap dapat ditangani dengan kerjasama erat antara Kerajaan Persekutuan dan Negeri Sabah.
“Saya menyampaikan ucapan sedih Perdana Menteri, keprihatinan beliau terhadap keadaan banjir di Sabah saya percaya seperti yang dinyatakan Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor kerjasama erat dengan Persekutuan tentunya kita akan mencari jalan bagaimana untuk menangani masalah banjir di kawasan ini,
“Paling penting pasca banjir saya ambil kesempatan menyeru semua agensi Persekutuan dan Kerajaan Negeri untuk membantulah yang selepas banjir rumah mereka perlu dibantu membersihakan apatah lagi nak Hari Raya dan sebagainya perkara ini menuntut kita untuk bekerja dengan pantas,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang media selepas meninjau dan melawat mangsa banjir di Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima (DSP) Mohd Dun Banir bersama Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Lawatan mewakili Perdana Menteri itu, seterusnya bergerak ke beberapa rumah terjejas di sekitar daerah Beaufort dan Membakut iaitu antaranya di Kampung Melati, Kampung Kelabu dan Kampung Brunei.
Sementera itu Shamsul turut menzahirkan ucapan tahniah kepada semua pemimpin tempatan serta agensi berkaitan Persekutuan dan Negeri dalam mengendalikan situasi semasa banjir di Sabah.
“Saya ucapkan tahniah kepada Ahli Parlimen dan juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) kawasan turun padang membantu termasuk agensi Persekutuan dan Negeri yang mengendali keadaan banjir ini,” katanya.
PETALING JAYA – Jabatan Meteorologi (MetMalaysia) mengeluarkan amaran hujan lebat, ribut petir dan angin kencang melanda enam negeri iaitu Selangor, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang dan Johor.
Antara daerah Selangor yang dijangka dilanda ribut petir, hujan lebat dan angin kencang ialah Sabak Bernam dan Kuala Selangor.
“Di negeri Perak, ia berisiko melanda kawasan Kerian, Larut, Matang dan Salama, Manjung, Perak Tengah, Bagan Datuk dan Hilir Perak.
“Selain itu, di Kelantan pula, melibatkan daerah Pasir Mas, Jeli, Tanah Merah, Machang, Pasir Puteh, Kuala Krai dan Gua Musang,” kata MetMalaysia.
Tambah MetMalaysia, cuaca buruk itu dijangka turut berlaku di negeri Terengganu (Besut dan Hulu Terengganu) manakala di negeri Pahang melibatkan kawasan Rompin.
“Cuaca sama dijangka berlaku di Johor membabitkan kawasan Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Mersing dan Kota Tinggi.
“Keadaan tersebut dijangka berlarutan sehingga pukul 12 tengah hari nanti,” lapor MetMalaysia. -KOSMO! ONLINE
KUANTAN: The operation to extinguish a fire at a 176ha oil palm plantation and forest along the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass in Gebeng, which began on Feb 22 has been successfully completed on Monday (March 10).
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said close monitoring of the location by the Gebeng Fire and Rescue Station will continue for the next three days.
He explained that this monitoring is crucial because the fire occurred on peatland, where embers often remain underground despite not being visible on the surface of the plantation and forest.
"Through this monitoring, we will ensure there are no remaining embers in the peatland that could potentially ignite another fire.
"The Fire and Rescue Department would like to express its highest appreciation to the agencies involved, including the Kuantan District Office, the Public Works Department, and the Irrigation and Drainage Department.
"Also, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, the Environment Department, and other parties who have worked alongside us in carrying out the firefighting operation.
"This strong cooperation reflects the government's commitment to the sustainability of the people's lives," he said in a statement Monday evening.
The fire, which started in an oil palm plantation before spreading to the surrounding forest, caused the air pollutant index (API) reading in the Balok Baru area to reach the unhealthy category with a reading of 193 on Monday.
Involving more than 70 personnel from 10 fire and rescue stations, the fire also caught the attention of the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who advised residents in the Balok Baru area to be cautious due to the air pollution.
Additionally, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad visited the site and received a briefing from the relevant agency officers on Thursday (March 6). – Bernama
PETALING JAYA: As open burning cases surge nationwide, the Fire and Rescue Department has urged the public to take preventive measures to avert an environmental disaster and warned that the consequences can be devastating to air quality and public health.
The department told theSun that last year there was 19,273 cases of open burning recorded, with Sabah accounting for the highest number at 2,415 cases, followed by Johor with 2,142, Kedah 1,971 and Selangor 1,904.
Fire Safety division director Datuk Khirudin Drahman Hussain said the 1997 haze disaster, one of the worst environmental crises in Southeast Asia, serves as a reminder of how uncontrolled forest and bushfires had blanketed the region in smog, making it difficult to breathe and disrupting businesses.
“Fires can be devastating if not controlled, but we can prevent open burning by understanding its risks. The lesson is clear – without prevention, precaution and protection, history will repeat itself.”
Khirudin said there was a significant rise in open burning cases last year compared with the same period in 2023, adding that fires in shrublands and grasslands saw the highest increase, from 9,294 cases in 2023 to 13,182 cases in 2024.
He also said waste fires rose from 2,703 to 2,979 cases, while forest fires accounted for 2,164 cases, and farm and plantation fires were at 948 cases.
He attributed the rise to two primary factors: intentional actions and negligence.
“Intentional cases often involve waste disposal, in which individuals or businesses burn waste for quick disposal, particularly in areas with limited waste management. In agriculture, open burning is commonly used to clear land or dispose of crop residues, but this practice severely harms air quality and increases pollution.
“Negligence and lack of awareness also contribute significantly, as many people burn waste without realising the environmental and health risks.”
Khirudin said the department is collaborating with agencies such as the Environment Department to monitor air quality and assist in enforcement and firefighting operations. “Additionally, we are partnering with MetMalaysia to receive weather forecasts and data on wind patterns, which are crucial for understanding the spread of fires, especially in the case of forest fires or haze episodes.”
Khirudin urged the public to report open burning incidents through the 999 emergency hotline or by contacting the nearest fire station and provide accurate details, adding that the public should never confront offenders directly, but to let authorities handle the enforcement.
Universiti Putra Malaysia faculty of forestry and environment senior lecturer Dr Mohd Yusoff Ishak said pollutants from open burning can cause breathing problems, eye irritation and heart strain in the short term, while long term exposure increases the risk of lung disease, heart disease, cancer and nerve disorders.
“Children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions are most vulnerable to the effects of open burning. The developing lungs in children make them more prone to asthma and infections, while the elderly, especially those with weakened immune systems, face higher health risks as smoke can trigger severe breathing difficulties and inflammation.”
Mohd Yusoff said encouraging industries, farmers and individuals to stop open burning and adopt environmentally friendly waste management practices requires a mix of incentives, strict regulations, education, supporting infrastructure for circularity and community engagement.
He said Malaysia has strict regulations against open burning under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and related laws, but enforcement challenges and loopholes allow it to persist.
“There is a need for improvement in personnel and technological resources to monitor remote or illegal open burning and implement mandatory environmental restoration costs for corporate violators or repeat offenders.
“Malaysia can adopt a multi-pronged approach to reduce and eventually stop open burning through composting, upcycling plant materials, bioenergy, investing in Waste-to-Energy technologies and key waste management infrastructure, and improving public engagement to support policy and awareness.”
KOTA KINABALU: Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor dijadual meninjau situasi banjir besar di Beaufort dan melawat mangsa di pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di daerah itu, hari ini.
Selain itu, Setiausaha Politik Kanan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin turut dijadual melawat mangsa di Beaufort dan Membakut.
Hajiji dan Shamsul Iskandar dijadual melawat PPS Dewan DSP Mohd Dun Banir di Beaufort pada jam 9 pagi ini, sebelum meninjau situasi banjir di pekan Beaufort dan sekitarnya.
Dewan berkenaan adalah antara tujuh PPS dibuka di Beaufort berikutan banjir yang melanda sejak Jumaat lalu dan menempatkan paling ramai mangsa dengan 412 orang daripada 147 keluarga setakat jam 4 pagi ini.
Enam lagi PPS ialah Pusat Pemindahan Kekal Dewan Selagon (376 mangsa), Dewan Bisaya (212 mangsa), Dewan Residensi Prima (203 mangsa), Dewan Kukut (136 mangsa), Dewan Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pekan Beaufort (266 mangsa) dan Dewan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Beaufort 3 (114 mangsa).
Secara keseluruhan, seramai 1,719 mangsa banjir daripada 556 keluarga dipindahkan di Beaufort sejak Jumaat lalu hingga jam 4 pagi ini, menjadikan Beaufort paling ramai pemindahan mangsa banjir daripada empat daerah di pedalaman Sabah yang dilanda bencana itu setakat ini.
Tiga lagi daerah yang dilanda banjir ialah Tenom (1,119 mangsa), Membakut (914 mangsa) dan Sook (778 mangsa).
Berdasarkan laporan Sekretariat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN) Sabah, jumlah keseluruhan mangsa banjir yang dipindahkan dari keempat-empat daerah itu setakat jam 4 pagi ini ialah 4,530 orang daripada 1,488 keluarga.
Secara keseluruhan sebanyak 29 PPS dibuka di keempat-empat daerah berikutan banjir yang berpunca daripada hujan lebat berterusan di kawasan pedalaman Sabah yang menyebabkan limpahan air sungai utama, khususnya Sungai Padas di Tenom dan Beaufort serta Sungai Membakut di Membakut.
Hujan lebat berterusan dengan kadar yang tinggi mencecah 200 milimeter (mm) berbanding kadar biasa kira-kira 50mm, selain fenomena air pasang tinggi hingga mencapai 2.5 meter punca utama banjir besar di daerah terbabit.