KOTA KINABALU (Sept 2): All six air quality monitoring stations in Sabah recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as haze continued to affect the state today.

She said the haze affecting Sabah was believed to have originated from forest and peatland fires in Kalimantan.

“Thick smoke from the fires is believed to have been carried by winds across Borneo, including into Sabah,” she said in a statement.

Nor Rashidah said no other major fires had been detected or reported in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Papar, Beaufort, Sandakan and Tawau based on reports from the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department and DOE officers’ open burning prevention patrols.

She said the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), based in Singapore, also reported that no hotspots had been detected in Sabah based on NOAA satellite imagery as of today.

However, the same observation detected 943 active hotspots in Kalimantan and 133 in Sumatra.

Nor Rashidah said daily patrols were conducted yesterday in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Papar, Beaufort, Sandakan and Tawau, focusing on sensitive areas and locations near existing air quality monitoring stations.

“To date, a total of 502 Open Burning Prevention Operation (OMPT) patrols have been conducted,” she said.

She urged the public not to carry out open burning or allow their land or premises to be accessed by irresponsible parties who could cause open burning deliberately or accidentally.

Nor Rashidah reminded the public that under Section 29(A) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, those convicted of open burning offences can be fined between RM25,000 and RM1 million, jailed for up to five years, or both.

A maximum compound of RM2,000 may also be imposed for open burning offences.

She also urged members of the public to help put out small fires and report cases of open burning or fires to the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) at 999 or the DOE’s toll-free line at 1-800-882727.