Cloud seeding carried out in peninsula, Sarawak to mitigate impact of transboundary haze

On November 3, 2021, a series of 12 cloud seeding operations took place across various regions in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak to alleviate the effects of transboundary haze on the nation's air quality. These operations, conducted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) in coordination with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), targeted the northern, central, and southern areas of Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sarawak.

The cloud seeding efforts were successful in inducing rainfall in several targeted locations, which in turn helped to restore water levels in reservoirs and minimize the impact of the cross-border haze. This response came in direct reaction to a question posed by Datuk Larry Soon (PBM-Julau) regarding the government's measures to combat transboundary haze resulting from open burning in neighboring countries.

In addition to the cloud seeding initiatives, the Malaysian government activated other preparedness measures, including the National Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan, aimed at preventing and mitigating the adverse effects of haze. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) confirmed that investigations conducted alongside the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities found no evidence linking Malaysian-related plantation companies to forest or plantation fires in Indonesia.

Nonetheless, the government emphasized that it takes all allegations involving Malaysian entities seriously and any information or evidence presented would be thoroughly examined in collaboration with relevant authorities, in compliance with applicable laws and jurisdictions.