KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Most temporary flood relief centres (PPS) in Penang, Pahang, Kedah and Perak were closed today as floods improved, with only two remaining in operation in Perak as of 4pm.

In PENANG, Seberang Perai Tengah district officer Datuk Kamarul Haizal Koderat said the only centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Penanti in Bukit Mertajam was closed this afternoon, and all 36 victims from 10 families were allowed to return home.

He said the closure followed assessments by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, which found the affected area safe for residents to return.

The centre was opened at 8.30pm last night to house evacuees from Kampung Kubang Semang after their homes were flooded due to heavy rain.

In PAHANG, two PPS in Raub housing 26 evacuees from 11 families were also closed at 1pm today.

The Raub District Disaster Management Committee secretariat said all evacuees at Balai Raya Kampung Baru Cheroh and Balai Raya Sempam Baru PPS had been allowed to return home as flood conditions continued to improve.

Meanwhile, in KEDAH, Kubang Pasu District Civil Defence Officer Capt (PA) Mohd Adenin Suhaim said the PPS at Dewan Lembah Keriang in Jitra was closed at 3.30pm today after floods in Mukim Temin receded.

The closure allowed 26 evacuees from eight affected families to return home. The centre had been opened at 11pm last night to house affected residents from Kampung Tradisi and Kampung Baru.

In PERAK, Larut, Matang dan Selama District Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Nasrul Menhat said three PPS, at SK Changkat Ibol, Dewan Masjid Al-Wusta Batu 8 and Dewan Perdana Trong, were closed at 1.30pm today.

However, the Perak State Disaster Management Committee secretariat said two PPS remained in operation as of 4pm, at SK Matang Gelugor and SK Matang.

According to the statement, 146 evacuees from 48 families are still sheltering at the SK Matang Gelugor PPS, while 56 from 21 families are housed at the SK Matang PPS following a storm that affected several villages in the area since Oct 14.

The floods hit Kampung Matang Pasir and Kampung Matang Gelugor, while the storm also struck Kampung Changkat Baru Matang, Kampung Teluk Kertam, Kampung Melawati and Kampung Hujung Matang.

Other areas also hit by floods were Kampung Changkat Ibol, Kampung Batu 9 and the Trong and Matang areas.

In a related development, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said in a Facebook post that he had visited flood-hit areas in Pulau Pangkor today, but no PPS had been opened on the island so far. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Toxic haze from wildfires burning in Indonesia has spiked a demand for oxygen tanks and air purifiers across the region, manufacturers say, as they work the clock on equipment providing life-saving clean air.

The months-long haze has blanketed parts of South-east Asia, forcing school closures and fuelling a rise in respiratory complaints. Families are now rushing to buy devices to keep indoor air clean.

At AA Alive, a medical equipment company based just outside of Kuala Lumpur, employees were working at full capacity to deliver oxygen bottles, with officials saying sales were rocketing.

“We have seen a 35 per cent increase in sales because of the haze,” Rafina Firdaus, a member of AA Alive’s sales team, told AFP during a visit.

“When I started in the industry, I was shocked to see so many patients who need oxygen tanks,” she said.

The company supplies patients with both oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators.

An oxygen tank can run for about three hours of continuous use, while a concentrator can be used for about 24 hours.

Md Noor Bin Bujang, 69, spent more than a month in hospital and received his first oxygen concentrator on Thursday evening.

He told AFP that without the oxygen-providing equipment he would have “a shortness of breath, especially with the haze”.

Mubassar Khan, a 26-year-old AA Alive technician, said an oxygen concentrator’s filter is normally replaced after 1,000 hours of usage, but the haze’s pollutants have halved its lifespan.

AA Alive currently delivers around 40 rental units per day, and Firdaus said the company was able to meet the increased demands caused by the haze because they have “already experienced it every year”.

AFP journalists saw close to 60 oxygen concentrators and around 20 oxygen tanks that were due for a service or replacement at the company’s showroom and warehouse.

‘Sharp surge’

Experts warn prolonged exposure to haze pollutants could cause inflammation that is harmful to the body, with one classifying the situation as a “multisystem public health threat”.

Juliana Jalaludin, a professor specialising in environmental health at Universiti Putra Malaysia, told AFP she was worried that future generations could “experience a higher burden of respiratory illnesses if they are repeatedly exposed to haze and air pollution, particularly during childhood”.

“The key is to reduce exposure now to protect children’s health and prevent long-term consequences for future generations,” Juliana said.

Air purifier retailers, meanwhile, said sales have jumped since air quality levels started to dip in August during haze conditions.

“Recently, we have seen a 600 per cent increase in sale volume of air purifier sales... from September 28 to October 12, compared to the same period last year,” regional consumer electronics retailer Courts said in a statement.

“Customers are becoming more conscious of indoor air quality and are actively exploring solutions to maintain a healthier and more comfortable home environment,” a Courts spokesperson told AFP.

Singapore-based retailer Gain City said it has also seen “a significant increase in air-purifier demand”.

“Demand began picking up in recent weeks, with a particularly sharp surge from October 9. Sales have since risen to nine times the level recorded at the start of the haze season in August,” the company said. — AFP

LUMUT: Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) melalui Markas Pemerintahan Armada Barat (MPA Barat) mengaturgerak 100 anggotanya dari Pangkalan TLDM Lumut bagi melaksanakan misi Bantuan Kemanusiaan dan Bencana (HADR) susulan kejadian banjir kilat di beberapa kawasan di Pulau Pangkor awal pagi ini.

Misi bantuan yang diketuai oleh Ketua Pegawai Staf Operasi MPA Barat, Komander Abdul Manan Mazlan, melibatkan tiga buah Fast Combat Boat (FCB) dan dua buah Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) bagi menyokong pergerakan anggota serta penghantaran bantuan ke kawasan terjejas.

Sebuah helikopter TLDM turut berada dalam keadaan siap siaga bagi memberikan sokongan udara sekiranya diperlukan.

Dalam pelaksanaan misi bantuan ini, TLDM juga telah menyediakan sebanyak 300 bungkus makanan dan 425 botol air mineral untuk diagihkan kepada para petugas terdiri daripada warga TLDM, guru-guru, individu serta wakil beberapa agensi awam yang terlibat dalam kerja-kerja pembersihan di kawasan terjejas banjir.

Kerja-kerja pembersihan tertumpu di Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pangkor, selain melibatkan masjid dan kediaman penduduk yang terjejas teruk akibat banjir serta dipenuhi mendapan lumpur tebal.

MPA Barat dan semua unit di bawah pemerintahan serta naungan di Pangkalan TLDM Lumut akan terus komited dalam menyokong usaha pemulihan di kawasan terjejas melalui
kerjasama dan penyelarasan dengan agensi berkaitan.

BUKIT GANTANG: Kelulusan peruntukan tebatan banjir perlu disusuli pelaksanaan segera bagi memastikan penduduk Bukit Gantang tidak terus berdepan bencana berulang ketika projek masih pada peringkat kajian.

Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang, Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal berkata, banjir kerap berlaku di kawasan itu menuntut perubahan kaedah kerja agensi berkaitan, khususnya dalam pengurusan sungai dan sistem saliran.

Katanya, kerajaan sudah menyediakan peruntukan menangani masalah berkenaan, tetapi pelaksanaannya perlu dipercepat dan diurus lebih cekap bagi mengurangkan kesengsaraan penduduk.

“Jika banjir sentiasa berlaku, apakah tidak ada usaha yang lebih cekap mengalihkan air banjir ataupun menampung air yang turun dengan laju,” katanya ketika melakukan lawatan ke Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) Dewan Terbuka Masjid Al-Wusta, di sini, semalam.

Katanya, perkara itu akan dibangkitkan di Parlimen dengan memberi tumpuan kepada langkah mengurus aliran air hujan dan mengurangkan risiko limpahan sungai.

Katanya, kerja mendalamkan sungai dan membersihkan parit perlu dilaksanakan dengan kaedah betul, termasuk mengurus bahan korekan supaya tidak dihanyutkan semula ke dalam saluran ketika hujan.

Sementara itu, seramai 407 mangsa daripada 147 keluarga masih berlindung di empat PPS di daerah Larut, Matang dan Selama setakat semalam.

Sekretariat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN) memaklumkan jumlah mangsa banjir kekal 407 orang setakat pagi semalam dengan semua PPS beroperasi.

SK Changkat Ibol menempatkan mangsa tertinggi, iaitu 181 orang daripada 57 keluarga dari Kampung Changkat Ibol.

Dewan Masjid Al-Wusta Batu 8 menempatkan 130 mangsa daripada 57 keluarga dari Kampung Batu 9, manakala 79 mangsa daripada 24 keluarga dari kawasan Matang berlindung di SK Matang Gelugor.

Seramai 17 mangsa daripada sembilan keluarga dari kawasan Trong pula ditempatkan di Dewan Perdana Trong.

PPS SK Changkat Ibol dibuka pada pukul 6 petang kelmarin, disusuli Dewan Masjid Al-Wusta Batu 8. Dewan Perdana Trong dan SK Matang Gelugor mula beroperasi pada pukul 8.30 malam kelmarin. – UTUSAN