Johor wants Asean to call meeting on future preventive measures on cross-border haze

Johor State Government has urged Asean nations to convene an emergency meeting to bolster fire control and prevention measures, as well as enhance hotspot monitoring in the future. State's Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi mentioned this during the State-Level Disaster Coordination Meeting, which centered on the threat of transnational haze stemming from hotspot activities in Indonesia.

Johor has been grappling with a smoke episode since August 25, with numerous locales registering Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as unhealthy and very unhealthy. In a Facebook post, the Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the impact on the wellbeing and daily lives of the residents. According to the latest data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), there were 453 hotspots in Kalimantan and 153 in Sumatra.

The Chief Minister warned that such a high number of hotspots could escalate the risk of haze if fires break out and smoke transgresses the national boundary. As of the last update at 4:00 pm, the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (MyEQMS) reported that Pasir Gudang and Larkin were at a very unhealthy level, with an API of 202.

Other areas, including Pengerang (181), Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi (171 each), Kluang (168), Tangkak (159), and Segamat (156), were also classified as unhealthy.