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

Johor State Government has urged Asean nations to convene an urgent meeting to enhance fire control and prevention techniques, along with enhancing hotspot monitoring in the future. Johor's Chief Minister, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, disclosed this during the State-Level Disaster Coordination Meeting, which also centered on the risk of cross-border haze due to hotspot activities in Indonesia.

As of August 25, Johor has been experiencing a haze situation, with numerous regions registering Air Pollutant Index (API) readings classified as unhealthy and very unhealthy. Speaking via a Facebook post, the Chief Minister emphasized the alarming nature of this situation, particularly in terms of the health and daily lives of the general public.

He further pointed out that according to the most recent data from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), there are 453 hotspots in Kalimantan and 153 in Sumatra. These hotspots could exacerbate the risk of haze if fires ignite and smoke crosses the border, warned the Chief Minister. As of 4:00 pm today, the Department of Environment's Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (MyEQMS) reported that Pasir Gudang and Larkin were at a very unhealthy level, with an API of 202.

Additionally, six other areas—Pengerang (181), Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi (171 each), Kluang (168), Tangkak (159), and Segamat (156)—were classified as unhealthy.