PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
Rain cannot wash away Malaysia’s haze as forest and peat fires keep fuelling pollution
- Admin UKK
- Berita
KUALA LUMPUR — Almost daily downpours may offer temporary relief from the haze, but they cannot guarantee clean air while forest and peatland fires continue to pump smoke into the atmosphere, environmentalist Mohd Fadhil Mohd Din has warned.
Speaking to Scoop, Fadhil said rainfall could remove some airborne particles, but its effectiveness depended on the intensity, duration and geographical coverage of the rain, as well as whether fires continued to generate smoke.
“Both explanations are possible, and they often occur together. Fine smoke particles can remain suspended for days, while continuing emissions replenish particles removed by rain,” he said.
He said heavy rainfall in a Malaysian town did not necessarily mean sufficient rain had fallen over the areas where fires were burning or along the routes taken by smoke travelling towards the country.
Fadhil pointed to Singapore’s National Environment Agency’s observations on October 20, when afternoon showers occurred while residual smoke from Kalimantan continued drifting towards Singapore.
He said rainfall removed airborne particles through a process known as wet deposition, in which particles were incorporated into cloud droplets or captured by falling raindrops.
However, the effectiveness of this process depended on several factors, including rainfall intensity, duration, coverage, and the size and composition of the particles, he added.
Fadhil cited a field study in Beijing that recorded an average reduction of about 51 per cent in PM2.5 concentrations during heavy rain, compared with about five per cent during light rain, although the findings varied and should not be treated as removal rates applicable to Malaysia.
He warned that even heavy rain could provide only temporary relief if winds subsequently carried another plume of smoke into an affected area.
“Rainfall at the receiving location cannot reliably compensate for continuing forest and peatland fires elsewhere,” he said.
Fadhil, who is also the Director of the UTM Campus Sustainability Office (UTMCS), said the persistence of haze despite rainfall was consistent with transboundary pollution, but stressed that this alone was insufficient to establish where the smoke originated.
He said scientists needed to combine satellite observations of fires and smoke plumes with atmospheric modelling, ground-level pollution measurements and chemical analysis to identify potential sources.
“Scientists combine several independent sources of evidence,” he said, adding that wind patterns and atmospheric modelling could help establish links between potential sources of smoke and affected monitoring stations.
Fadhil also said Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index (API), which uses a 24-hour running average for particulate pollution, could remain elevated even after conditions began to improve.
“An elevated API immediately after rain does not necessarily mean that rainfall removed nothing,” he said.
He added that weak winds, a shallow atmospheric mixing layer and temperature inversions could restrict the dispersal of pollutants, allowing them to accumulate near the ground.
Wind direction also mattered, he said, as stronger airflow could carry smoke into an area instead of clearing it.
Fadhil said lasting improvement required a reduction in smoke emissions, the removal or dispersal of existing pollution and cleaner air moving into affected areas.
“Malaysia should not rely on rainfall alone. Sustained improvement requires smoke emissions to fall, existing pollution to be removed or dispersed, and incoming air to carry less smoke,” he said.
He stressed that extinguishing forest and peatland fires was essential, particularly because peat fires could continue smouldering beneath the surface even when rain fell.
He added that preventing new fires, restoring peatlands, controlling local emissions and strengthening regional cooperation were crucial to reducing the risk of recurring haze.
Fadhil said cooperation under the Asean Haze-Free Roadmap 2023–2030 should translate into shared monitoring data, early warnings, coordinated responses and sustained action to address the sources of smoke.
He said a reliable assessment of when haze would clear needed to consider fire activity, rainfall over affected source areas and predicted smoke movement, rather than rainfall alone.
Sustained improvement in official air-quality readings, rather than the appearance of a clearer sky immediately after a downpour, would provide a more reliable indication that conditions were recovering, he added.
Air quality continued to improve in most parts of the country this morning, with only Samalaju in Sarawak recording an unhealthy API reading.
The API reading in Samalaju, about 60km northeast of Bintulu, stood at 152 as of 9am. Bintulu recorded the second-highest reading at 94, followed by Serian at 90 and Sibu at 89.
Other areas in Sarawak with moderate air quality were Sri Aman (83), Samarahan (82), Sarikei and Kuching (81 each), Mukah (75), Kapit (72) and Miri (63).
In Kuala Lumpur, Batu Muda recorded an API reading of 82, while Cheras registered 57.
In Johor, Kluang recorded a reading of 81, followed by Batu Pahat (79), Pasir Gudang (70), Larkin (67), Segamat (62), Pengerang (60), Kota Tinggi (58) and Tangkak (57).
In Negeri Sembilan, Nilai and Seremban both recorded readings of 69, while Port Dickson registered 51.
In Selangor, Johan Setia recorded an API reading of 65, followed by Klang (57), Shah Alam (53) and Petaling Jaya (52).
Other areas with moderate air quality included Keningau (73), Tawau (65) and Sandakan (57) in Sabah; Seberang Perai in Penang (64); Rompin (62) and Balok Baru (56) in Pahang; and Tasek Ipoh (61), Seri Manjung (58) and Pegoh (53) in Perak.
Paka in Terengganu recorded an API reading of 57, while Alor Gajah and Bukit Rambai in Melaka both registered 56. Labuan recorded 56 and Putrajaya 54.
API readings of between zero and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and readings above 300 as hazardous. – October 27, 2026
Indonesia, Singapura setuju bentuk pasukan petugas bersama mengenai akauntabiliti kebakaran hutan
- Admin UKK
- Berita
JAKARTA: Indonesia dan Singapura bersetuju menubuhkan sebuah pasukan petugas bersama bagi memastikan syarikat-syarikat bertanggungjawab terhadap kebakaran hutan dan tanah, termasuk melalui perkongsian risikan kewangan serta pengumpulan bukti rentas sempadan.
Persetujuan itu dicapai semasa perbincangan antara Menteri Luar Indonesia, Arrmanatha Nasir dan rakan sejawatnya dari Singapura, Vivian Balakrishnan di sini pada Selasa, mesyuarat rasmi pertama mereka sejak pelantikan Arrmanatha.
Arrmanatha berkata semasa mesyuarat itu, Singapura menawarkan untuk berkongsi data mengenai syarikat yang dikaitkan dengan kebakaran berkenaan, yang disambut baik oleh Indonesia sebagai peluang bagi memperkukuh kerjasama dalam mengheret pihak yang terlibat untuk dipertanggungjawabkan.
"Indonesia komited untuk bekerjasama dengan Singapura dan pihak lain bagi membawa mereka yang bertanggungjawab ke muka pengadilan. Asap boleh merentasi sempadan, begitu juga wang.
Oleh itu, kita perlu menjejaki aliran wang yang ditinggalkan oleh syarikat-syarikat ini," katanya pada sidang media bersama selepas mesyuarat dua hala di Jakarta pada Selasa, menurut rakaman video yang diterbitkan media tempatan.
Arrmanatha turut merujuk tindakan Singapura baru-baru ini yang mengeluarkan notis langkah pencegahan kepada 10 syarikat yang berpotensi dikaitkan dengan kebakaran hutan, sambil menyatakan bahawa Indonesia sedang menjalankan siasatan nasional yang diselaraskan sendiri.
Bagi pihak Indonesia, beliau berkata ratusan individu dan lebih 50 syarikat telah atau sedang disiasat serta didakwa berhubung kebakaran hutan dan tanah, dengan beberapa pihak telah didapati bersalah di bawah undang-undang Indonesia.
Sementara itu, Balakrishnan pada sidang media berkenaan mengesahkan persetujuan Singapura terhadap cadangan itu, sambil berkata pasukan petugas bersama berkenaan akan memastikan penyelarasan lebih rapi dan perkongsian maklumat antara kedua-dua negara bagi mencegah pelanggaran pada masa hadapan.
"Kami menjangkakan impak pencegahan daripada pasukan petugas bersama ini akan membawa perubahan," katanya.
Beliau berkata Singapura akan menggunakan kuasa undang-undang dan kawal selianya terhadap syarikat yang bertanggungjawab menyebabkan jerebu, termasuk yang didaftarkan di Indonesia.
"Kami bersedia untuk menggunakan langkah undang-undang, kawal selia dan ekonomi yang lebih meluas bagi mencegah pelanggaran undang-undang oleh syarikat pada masa hadapan," katanya.
NEW DELHI, 28 Okt: Siklon Arnab, yang membawa kelajuan angin mencecah hampir 130 kilometer sejam (kmj), dijangka membadai kawasan pantai timur dan tenggara India pada awal pagi Rabu, menurut Jabatan Meteorologi India (IMD) pada Selasa.
Ribuan penduduk telah dipindahkan dari kawasan pesisir pantai yang terjejas ke lokasi lebih selamat, manakala bekalan elektrik ditutup selama 24 jam di kebanyakan kawasan yang terkesan akibat siklon berkenaan, termasuk Visakhapatnam di negeri selatan Andhra Pradesh.
Sekolah dan institusi pendidikan lain turut ditutup untuk beberapa hari akan datang di sekurang-kurangnya 14 daerah terjejas di Andhra Pradesh susulan cuaca buruk yang melanda kawasan-kawasan terbabit. Lebih 20 penerbangan yang berlepas atau mendarat di lapangan terbang Vijayawada dan Visakhapatnam di Andhra Pradesh sama ada dibatalkan atau dijadualkan semula.
“Ia berkemungkinan besar bergerak menghala ke barat-barat laut dalam beberapa jam akan datang, kemudian ke barat laut dan melintasi pantai Andhra Pradesh serta Yanam antara Bapatla dan Visakhapatnam, berhampiran selatan Yanam sebagai ribut siklon amat buruk dengan kelajuan angin kencang berterusan maksimum 125-135 kmj dengan tiupan kencang mencecah 150 kmj menjelang tengah hari 28 Oktober,” menurut IMD dalam satu kenyataan pada Selasa.
Laporan media tempatan menyatakan cuaca buruk disertai laut bergelora dan angin kencang, bersama kenaikan air pasang ribut dengan ketinggian ombak mencecah satu hingga dua meter melebihi paras pasang surut astronomi, dijangka melanda kawasan pesisir pantai Andhra Pradesh.-TVS
Orang Asli in remote Kelantan and Terengganu areas urged to evacuate early as monsoon looms
- Admin UKK
- Berita
GUA MUSANG, Oct 26 — Orang Asli living in remote areas have been urged to move to safe locations immediately if faced with the threat of floods, sudden torrents or landslides during the Northeast Monsoon (MTL), without waiting for conditions to become critical.
Kelantan and Terengganu Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA) director Mohd Faedzyal Mohamed said all Tok Batin (Orang Asli village heads), penghulu (sub-district chiefs) and Orang Asli Village Development and Security Committees had been instructed to step up preparedness for the 2026/2027 Northeast Monsoon, which is expected to begin tomorrow and last until March next year.
He said the directive followed a statement issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department on Oct 23, which forecast three to five episodes of continuous heavy rain between November 2026 and January 2027.
Mohd Faedzyal said village leaders needed to identify high-risk areas, monitor weather changes and river levels, and identify residents who might require immediate assistance during emergencies.
“These conditions could lead to flooding, particularly in areas near rivers and low-lying terrain. Residents must remain vigilant and prioritise the safety of themselves and their families,” he told Bernama today.
Mohd Faedzyal also advised residents to avoid using roads or bridges that were damaged, collapsed or eroded, and not to cross fast-flowing rivers or rivers where water levels were rising rapidly.
Sufficient supplies of food, clean drinking water, medicines and other essentials should be prepared, while important documents should be kept in a safe place in case evacuation became necessary, he advised.
Meanwhile, Galas assemblyman Datuk Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim said more than 1,000 Orang Asli heads of households in Pos Bihai, Pos Belatim, Pos Balar and Pos Hau were at risk of being cut off during the monsoon season because the dirt roads in the areas were vulnerable to heavy rain.
He said routes at Bukit Pasir, Bukit Kelabu, Bukit Sabun and Bukit Piyel needed regular maintenance to reduce risks to road users.
Mohd Syahbuddin also advised residents to avoid travelling during heavy rain and to contact JAKOA if they required emergency assistance. — Bernama
Tanah runtuh: SAM sudah beri amaran risiko bencana pembangunan di lereng bukit, cerun 10 tahun lalu
- Admin UKK
- Berita
GEORGETOWN: Amaran Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) mendedahkan pernah memberi amaran 10 tahun mengenai risiko bencana sekiranya projek kawasan bukit dan cerun diteruskan.
Presiden SAM, Meenakshi Raman, kebimbangan dibangkitkan ketika bantahan bersama penduduk serta beberapa badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) termasuk Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang (CAP) pada 2016 itu menjadi kenyataan apabila tanah runtuh benar-benar berlaku di Taman Seri Rambai sehingga mengorbankan satu nyawa.
Mengulas lanjut, katanya ketika itu penduduk tidak bersetuju dan membantah projek berkenaan yang dijangka mendatangkan pelbagai bencana pada masa depan.
"Projek itu tetap terus berlangsung dan pihak terbabit mendakwa langkah akan diambil supaya tidak ada kejadian tidak diingini.
"Tetapi lihatlah apa sudah berlaku sekarang... kemudian berlaku pula kejadian tanah runtuh di Tanjung Bungah pada Oktober 2017 sehingga mengorbankan 11 pekerja binaan termasuk seorang warga tempatan, " katanya ketika ditemui di Tanjung Bungah, hari ini
Mengulas tanah runtuh di Taman Seri Rambai yang mengorbankan nyawa Dr Wong Kar Lin, 73, Meenakshi berkata kerajaan negeri dan Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) sepatutnya mengawal atau tidak membenarkan projek lereng bukit dijalankan dengan pemantauan tidak sempurna sehingga berlaku malapetaka besar.
Katanya, perubahan iklim antara punca perumahan di lereng bukit menjadi berisiko dalam jangka masa panjang.
"Pengalaman kita sebelum ini, apabila hujan lebih lebat dan kerap, struktur tanah tidak lagi dapat menampung beban.
"Jangan benarkan pembangunan di lereng bukit sebaliknya ambil langkah berjaga-jaga supaya ia boleh tahan impak daripada perubahan iklim.
"Sebenarnya kita perlu cegah (pembangunan di kawasan bukit) sebelum parah kerana apabila sudah parah, memang susah hendak kawal lagi," katanya lagi.
Menurutnya, SAM juga membantah sebarang cadangan Rancangan Struktur Negeri Pulau Pinang (RSNPP) 2040 yang didakwa melonggarkan syarat pembangunan di kawasan bukit dan cerun di Pulau Pinang.
Katanya, antara sekatan sedia ada ialah larangan pembangunan kawasan yang mempunyai ketinggian melebihi 76 meter (250 kaki) dari aras laut atau kawasan yang mempunyai kecerunan melebihi 25 darjah.
"Peraturan sedia ada dalam RSNPP 2030 tidak seharusnya 'dilemahkan' sehingga membolehkan pembangunan komersial dijalankan di kawasan bukit yang sebelum ini dilarang.
"Perancangan pembangunan negeri perlu mengutamakan keselamatan penduduk dan pemeliharaan alam sekitar, khususnya di kawasan bukit yang berisiko mengalami tanah runtuh," katanya.