PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
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.
AIR pollution is fuelling a rise in the commonest form of lung cancer among non-smokers, hitting women and people in South-East Asia particularly hard, according to a study published recently.
Lung cancer is the commonest form of the disease, with 2.5 million people diagnosed in 2022, said the study, published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.
Most of them were men but there was a growing share of nearly a million cases among women.
One key subtype of lung cancer – adenocarcinoma – has become predominant among women in 185 countries, the authors wrote in the Chinese-funded study.
“Air pollution can be considered an important factor that partly explains the emerging predominance of adenocarcinoma that accounts for 53-70% of cases of lung cancer among people who have never smoked worldwide,” the study said.
They found it grew among both men and women from 2020 to 2022, with the highest level among women, where it accounted for around six in 10 cases.
“As smoking prevalence continues to decline in many countries worldwide, the proportion of lung cancer in people who have never smoked has increased,” the researchers added.
“Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is estimated to be the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, occurring almost exclusively as adenocarcinoma and most commonly in women and Asian populations.”
The study presented statistical research based on data from monitors including the World Health Organisation.
The researchers said the highest levels of adenocarcinoma linked to air pollution were detected in East Asia, particularly China.
“Exposure to household burning of solid fuels for heating and cooking could be a causal factor of lung cancer” among Chinese women non-smokers, they added. – AFP Relaxnews
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a warning for thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds in 6 states until 7pm on Monday (March 10).
The affected states are Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah.
The areas forecast to be hit in Perak include Kerian, Larut, Matang Dan Selama, Kuala Kangsar, Kinta, Perak Tengah, Kampar, Bagan Datuk, Hilir Perak, Batang Padang and Muallim
In Pahang, the affected areas include Tanah Tinggi Cameron, Lipis, Raub and Jerantut, while in Selangor, Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Selangor, Klang, and Petaling are also affected.
The affected areas in Sarawak are Miri (Telang Usan dan Marudi) dan Limbang, while Sabah Pedalaman dan Pantai Barat (Papar dan Ranau) are also affected.
In Sabah, the affected areas involve the interior and West Coast (Papar and Ranau).
Beaufort residents struggle with floods, train service disrupted, daily necessities run out
- Admin UKK
- Berita
BEAUFORT (Mar 10): Residents in this district are facing difficulties as Beaufort Town, the hub of their economic activities and daily life, has been hit by floods since last Friday (March 7) and the town’s roads are now only passable by heavy vehicles while train services have been disrupted.
A check by Bernama at the affected area found residents struggling to obtain daily necessities as all shops are closed, with some shops submerged up to the level of the signboards. Residents have been forced to use boats to reach certain areas of the town due to the extremely high level of floodwaters.
Even Bernama’s staff covering the situation had to park their 4×4 vehicles on the outskirts of the town, located next to the Sungai Padas, before wading through waist-deep floodwaters on foot and using boats to access affected areas.
Florance Jerome, a 44-year-old teacher, said she, along with staff from Sekolah Kebangsaan St John and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), are working to gather food and supplies for those affected in the area.
“The security guard at the school has also been without food supplies since last Friday due to the ongoing floods, as have the residents in the surrounding areas. Since this morning, we’ve been trying to get supplies, but it’s been quite difficult, especially trying to get past the floodwaters in the town,” she told Bernama Monday.
She said that currently, the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is providing assistance, and she hopes that more people will help, particularly in providing boats for evacuation and the distribution of food supplies.
As of 4 pm Monday, a total of 4,159 people from 1,362 families are taking shelter in 24 temporary relief centres (PPS) in Sabah, while 1,339 people from 432 families have been placed in four PPS in Beaufort.
A construction contractor, Awang Razali Awang Damit, 52, said that some daily necessities like rice are still available in certain shops on the outskirts of the town, but in very small quantities.
Items in high demand, such as sugar and cooking oil, have run out.
“Shops in the town will take a long time to recover even after the floodwaters have receded because they were severely submerged. So, residents have had to look for alternatives, such as going to other towns, but those are quite far as well,” he said.
Beaufort Town is located 97 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu, with the nearest towns being Kuala Penyu (40 km), Papar (54 km), and Menumbok (63 km). However, the affected roads in surrounding areas, including Membakut, are making it difficult for residents to move around.
Housewife Normah Sulaiman, 58, said that the train service is a vital link between rural and remote areas, as well as to major cities like Kota Kinabalu. Therefore, residents are facing difficulties as the service has been disrupted due to the floods.
“Many rely on the train to go to Kota Kinabalu, whether for work or to visit relatives. It is the most affordable and safest option, especially for elderly people like me who are unable to drive long distances,” she said, hoping that the service would resume as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Sabah State Railway Department, when contacted by Bernama, said that the railway track connecting Beaufort Station and Membakut Station is still affected by the floods. As a result, train services are currently only available from Sembulan Station in Kota Kinabalu to Bongawan Station.
He said that the affected tracks have been disrupted since last Saturday (March 8), and they are now working to restore the service as quickly as possible.
“Indeed, Beaufort Station, located in Beaufort Town, has also been affected by the floods, and the tracks in the area are submerged. We hope the floodwaters will recede soon so that we can take immediate steps to restore the train service,” he said. – Bernama