Malaysia prepares for return of haze following recent dry spell
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Haze blankets the skyline of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, in a file photo taken in 2019.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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KUALA TERENGGANU - Malaysia’s Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry is preparing for a potential haze spell in Peninsular Malaysia.
Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said on Friday that his team will pay close attention to peatland, flammable areas and other sites that are prone to open burning, reported Bernama.
He added that the ministry will hold a meeting soon to discuss the measures.
“We already have a system in place, but in the past two or three years, due to Covid-19, there were fewer problems and industrial activities were also reduced,” he was quoted as saying in Bernama.
“But now things have returned to normal, so we are ready to face the phenomenon.”
The ministry is also checking if there is sufficient water supply, given the recent drop in rainfall in the country.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department said that as at Wednesday, the maximum daily temperature was 37 deg C, which was recorded in the northern states of the peninsula and the interiors of Kelantan and Pahang states. But rain is expected in most places in the country over the next few days.
