PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health (JKPK) will submit a memorandum regarding the cross-border haze issue to the Indonesian Embassy today.
Its chairman, Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai), said that the haze issue poses problems for the country across various aspects, such as the environment, public health, citizen safety, the national economy, and diplomatic relations between neighbouring countries.
"God willing, tomorrow morning the JKPK and its members will submit a memorandum to the Indonesian Embassy regarding this haze issue," he said while taking part in the debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2027 at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Meanwhile, Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) urged the government to take firm action against local companies allegedly involved in forest fires in Indonesia that caused the cross-border haze.
He said this follows a recent Greenpeace report naming 20 companies believed to be involved, including a leading national plantation company through its subsidiary registered in the neighbouring country.
"KLCC has now become 'KL Cannot See' because of the haze. In previous Special Chamber debates, the ministry informed that there was no information regarding the involvement of local companies.
"However, through this Greenpeace report, it is proven that there are local subsidiaries involved. We hope the ministry will not sit idly by and will take serious follow-up steps," he said.
Therefore, Khoo suggested that Malaysia follow the firm action of the Singaporean government in issuing warning notices to 10 companies believed to have links to the forest fire incidents in Indonesia.
Vivian Wong Shir Yee (PH-Sandakan) urged the government to provide a specific allocation for the long-term implementation of the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) method to address the stray animal issue nationwide, thereby breaking the cycle of conflict between the public, local authorities (PBT), and animal lovers following capture operations.
"When we lack a long-term system, every capture operation risks becoming a conflict, whether between animal lovers and the authorities or neighbour against neighbour. In the end, no one wins. Animals suffer, personnel are criticised, and public trust is eroded," she said.
According to Wong, a continuous TNR programme can gradually and ethically reduce the stray animal population without having to wait for tragedies to repeat.
The issue of the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) was also raised during the debate, with Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong) asking the government to provide comprehensive insurance protection, including death and permanent disability compensation, as well as the welfare of health personnel involved in the FDS.
"I welcome the increase in the FDS health service incentive from RM30 to RM100. However, taking into account the risks faced by health personnel in the interior as well as lessons learned from the recent FDS helicopter crash incident, the government must ensure comprehensive protection," she said.
Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (BN-Kalabakan) raised the issue that 36 per cent, or 382 out of 1,055 medical officers offered permanent placements in Sabah and Sarawak this year, failed to report for duty, and suggested that the government review the Regional Incentive Payment (BIW) rate, which is currently set at RM360 per month.
"The BIW should be reverted to a percentage-based calculation system of salary as before, or a reasonable minimum rate set for officers serving in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak.
"Additionally, a special quota of 30 percent for students from Sabah and Sarawak in medical fields at public universities should be established," he said.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. — Bernama
BARITO KUALA: Kebakaran hutan memusnahkan lebih tiga hektar kawasan di sepanjang Jalan H.M. Yunus, Sungai Rasau di daerah Barito Kuala, Kalimantan Selatan, pada malam Ahad, dengan api dilaporkan masih marak.
Kebakaran itu berlaku kira-kira 100 hingga 200 meter dari jalan utama yang menghubungkan Banjarmasin dengan kawasan Banua Anam di utara Kalimantan Selatan.
Api belum merebak ke jalan raya, namun mengancam rumah penduduk berhampiran yang kebanyakannya terletak di sepanjang laluan berkenaan.
Petugas kecemasan tiba di lokasi untuk memantau kebakaran serta menghalang api daripada merebak ke rumah penduduk dan talian elektrik di tepi jalan.
Seorang penduduk tempatan berusia 23 tahun, Nazar berkata, kebakaran mula kelihatan sekitar waktu matahari terbenam sebelum kembali marak selepas solat Isyak.
“Ini kali pertama kebakaran berlaku di kawasan ini, betul-betul di tepi jalan. Ramai penduduk sedang memantau keadaan,” katanya.
Kebakaran itu turut menarik perhatian pemandu yang melalui kawasan berkenaan, manakala penduduk setempat berjaga-jaga bagi menghalang api daripada merebak ke kediaman mereka.
Kawasan terbakar terletak berhampiran rumah penduduk di sepanjang laluan utama yang menghubungkan Banjarmasin dengan beberapa daerah di Banua Anam.
Dalam keadaan jerebu akibat kebakaran hutan sejak beberapa hari kebelakangan ini, Indeks Piawaian Pencemaran Udara (ISPU) di Barito Kuala kekal pada tahap hitam atau berbahaya, berdasarkan pemantauan Kementerian Alam Sekitar yang merekodkan paras pencemaran zarah halus PM2.5 yang berbahaya.
Pada 10 malam Ahad, pemantauan kementerian merekodkan kepekatan PM2.5 sebanyak 307 mikrogram bagi setiap meter padu di Barito Kuala, iaitu paras berbahaya yang jauh melebihi julat 0 hingga 15.5 mikrogram bagi setiap meter padu untuk kualiti udara yang baik.
Jumlah titik panas kebakaran di seluruh Indonesia melonjak lebih empat kali ganda kepada 1,104 pada Ahad, dengan Kalimantan paling teruk terjejas apabila kebakaran hutan dan tanah yang berlarutan terus menghasilkan asap dan jerebu, sekali gus memburukkan kualiti udara di beberapa wilayah.
Kementerian Perhutanan memaklumkan jumlah titik panas kebakaran hutan dan tanah meningkat daripada 270 pada Sabtu, dengan Kalimantan Tengah mencatatkan peningkatan paling ketara kepada 495 titik panas berbanding 92 pada hari sebelumnya, manakala Kalimantan Barat meningkat kepada 174 daripada 22.
Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) Kalimantan Selatan merekodkan 467 kejadian kebakaran hutan dan tanah di Barito Kuala setakat 14 Oktober 2026, melibatkan kawasan seluas 3,276.82 hektar.
Di seluruh Kalimantan Selatan, BPBD merekodkan 4,926 kejadian kebakaran hutan dan tanah yang menjejaskan kawasan seluas 27,202.97 hektar setakat tarikh sama.-AGENSI
PETALING JAYA:Two NGOs have called for clearer justifications and criteria for school closures because of the haze, as well as support for schools, households and businesses affected by the closures.
Engage and Projek Sama said while the school closures, including in Johor, were done with noble intentions, there was a need for rigorous cost-benefit analysis of policy measures, not “tough, fast and performative decisions”.
“School closures must be guided by transparent science, not ad hoc or performative announcements.
“Authorities should publish API thresholds, weather forecasts, and health criteria in advance, and communicate decisions by a fixed time wherever possible,” they said in a joint statement today.
The NGOs said that because of the school closures, parents may lose income, take unpaid leave, or scramble for childcare, while employers may lose staff, and canteen operators, bus operators and food suppliers may lose business.
“For households already under financial pressure, even one lost day matters,” they said.
Noting the Johor government’s order for schools and educational institutions to close for 12 school days until Oct 23, they said a conservative estimate put the cost of disrupted parental work time alone at about RM1 million for each day of primary school closure in the state.
“Leaving aside students in secondary, private and international schools, Johor has 336,045 pupils in government primary schools.
“Assuming that they come from 168,022 households with two children, that 5% of these households have a salaried parent who has to take leave to tend to their children, and that these parents earn the median monthly wage of RM2,688 (RM122 per working day for 22 working days per month), the productivity loss amounts to RM1,026,449.
“The actual burden is, therefore, likely to be substantially higher,” they said.
The NGOs called for the government to allow daily-wage earners, self-employed workers and low-income parents who lose income while caring for children during closures to qualify for temporary support payments administered through welfare programmes.
“Small school-dependent businesses, including canteen operators, school-bus operators and food suppliers, should receive limited emergency assistance when prolonged closures deprive them of ordinary income.
“Employers should be encouraged to provide flexible work arrangements and emergency childcare leave without penalising staff who have no alternative,” they said.
Engage and Projek Sama also called for free N95 masks for schools, B40 families and other vulnerable groups; vouchers or subsidies for air purifiers for B40 households with young children, elderly family members or the chronically ill; and the installation of air purifiers in community halls, libraries and other public facilities.
PETALING JAYA: As haze drives individuals indoors and forces schools to suspend outdoor activities, stray animals remain exposed to polluted air with nowhere to seek shelter, prompting calls for an emergency response plan to protect them before conditions worsen.
NGO Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) president Kalaivanan Ravichandran said animal welfare must be incorporated into Malaysia’s haze response, with clear responsibilities, veterinary support and practical measures to protect vulnerable animals.
He urged the government to establish a coordinated Animal Welfare Haze Response Protocol involving the Veterinary Services Department, local authorities, veterinary professionals and animal welfare organisations.
“When air quality becomes unsafe for people, we cannot ignore the animals that have no means of escaping that same environment.
“Animal welfare must be part of national preparedness, not an afterthought when a crisis emerges.”
His call comes as haze continues to blanket parts of the country, with 25 areas recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings yesterday. Pasir Gudang in Johor recorded the highest reading at 190 as of 8am.
Johor remains the worst-hit state, with eight areas reporting unhealthy air quality, while affected locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca also recorded elevated pollution levels. Kalaivanan said as authorities tighten public health precautions, including restrictions on outdoor activities and school closures when pollution reaches dangerous levels, similar safeguards must be extended to animals.
He added that stray animals are particularly vulnerable as many already struggle with inadequate nutrition, untreated illnesses and limited access to veterinary care.
He also said fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, could aggravate respiratory conditions, placing young, elderly and medically vulnerable animals at greater risk.
Kalaivanan said unlike household pets that could be kept indoors, street animals have little protection against prolonged exposure.
He added that Malaysia did not need an entirely new emergency framework, as the National Haze Action Plan and DVS Animal Emergency Management Manual already provide a foundation for disaster preparedness.
He said instead, existing arrangements should be strengthened through animal-specific health advisories linked to API readings, emergency veterinary referral systems and access to suitable temporary indoor facilities for vulnerable animals.
“Our recommendation is not to create another policy simply for the sake of having one. It is to ensure existing frameworks translate into clear responsibilities and practical action.”
He cautioned against indiscriminately capturing stray animals during haze episodes, saying such measures could be impractical and potentially harmful.
Kalaivanan said intervention should instead focus on animals requiring urgent assistance, guided by veterinary assessments and supported by appropriate facilities.
He added that animal rescuers and community feeders, many of whom already face financial and logistical constraints, could not be expected to shoulder the burden of environmental emergencies alone.
“Animal welfare NGOs are important partners in emergency response, but responsibility for national preparedness cannot rest solely on NGOs and individual volunteers.”
He also said rescuers often struggle to arrange transport, veterinary treatment and temporary accommodation for sick animals, with prolonged haze threatening to place further pressure on already limited resources.
Kalaivanan said for wildlife, the risks extend beyond polluted air to habitat degradation and disruption caused by fires, requiring specialised monitoring by the relevant authorities.
He added that SAFM wants animal welfare integrated into broader environmental emergency planning, with clearly designated agencies responsible for coordinating assistance before conditions deteriorate.
“The question is not whether Malaysia can protect every animal from every environmental hazard.
“The question is whether we have a coordinated, practical and accountable system to protect those most at risk.”
KUCHING (Oct 19): Air quality in Serian, Sri Aman and Lundu remained unhealthy as of 4pm, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB).
Serian recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 139, followed by Lundu at 128 and Sri Aman at 113, based on readings published on the NREB website.
The latest readings showed an improvement in several areas compared with 9am, when Kuching, Samarahan, Serian and Lundu recorded unhealthy air quality.
Kuching’s API dropped from 152 to 94, while Samarahan improved from 128 to 91. Serian’s reading fell slightly from 153 to 139, while Lundu recorded a decline from 141 to 128.
Sri Aman, however, saw its API rise from 92 to 113, moving from moderate to unhealthy air quality.
Under the API classification, readings of 101 to 200 indicate unhealthy air quality, while readings of 51 to 100 are classified as moderate and zero to 50 as good.
Most other monitoring stations across Sarawak recorded moderate air quality at 4pm.
Among them were Sibu at 80, Kanowit at 75, Mukah at 73, Sarikei at 72 and Kapit at 71.
Bintulu recorded an API of 59, while Miri and Lawas registered 53 and 51 respectively.
Limbang recorded the lowest reading at 35, followed by Bario at 43 and Belaga at 49, all indicating good air quality.
No latest data was available for Betong’s monitoring station under the Malaysian Continuous Air Quality Monitoring (MCAQM) system.