I read with disbelief at the denial in the Department of Environment’s (DOE) statement, as reported by Bernama in The Star yesterday (Oct 21, 2015) headlined ‘No yellow haze, says DOE’.
As it is, every year, Malaysians have to brace themselves for this annual haze crisis. It returns like clockwork every year without fail to suffocate us with the many shades of grey in the past month.
Naturally, tech-savvy netizens took to the net to air their concerns and share their experience so it is shocking and unbecoming of the DOE to slam and brush off photos shared on social media (mostly on Oct 20, 2015) showing that the ‘colour’ of the haze in yellow as false.
I have enclosed here photos personally taken by myself at my balcony on two consecutive days with the same view for comparison (Oct 19, 2015 and Oct 20, 2015 respectively) - raw unedited photos with NO filter applied for all to judge and for DOE to tell me - a normal citizen, concerned with the health and welfare of my family and friends, that these are fake photos?
Personally, I was shocked when the colour of the haze suddenly changed to yellow-orange (from grey) and my view outside was basked in a sick yellow mustard colour with a sharp acrid smell.
These denials coupled with the lack of relevant API readings demonstrate the department’s irresponsibility and indifference to the health of Malaysians. To further substantiate this point is the DOE’s lack of resolve in implementing the complete and comprehensive Particulate Matter standards; both for short and long-term exposure.
I am asking this because I have compared the World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines and the Environmental Impact Assessment reports for highway projects approved by the DOE and notice the standard imposed was based on 24-hour mean rather than on more relevant and stringent annual-mean basis.
Even if a PM10 24-hour mean standard is sufficient, I was shocked to see the API ceiling limit set at 150 when our government and media widely report API 100 to 200 is so unhealthy enough that we should close schools, minimise outdoor activities and use N95 mask when we are outside! Even more shocking was when I notice WHO recommends ONLY API of 50!
Could this mean the DOE has been approving EIA for high impact permanent developmental projects by using a more relaxed standard, one that is at least twice above national guideline and thrice higher than international standards?
Missing the whole point entirely
Rather than denying that the photos of the yellow haze were false claims circulating the social media - DOE is missing the whole point entirely. The rakyat are fed-up with the haze - whatever colour it is.
The Education Ministry had been under fire for issuing inconsistent school closure statements because of their reliance on information obtained from the DOE during this haze period. Parents putting the blame on schools and the ministry for not closing schools when API readings were low yet, in reality, we could hardly see the buildings next to us - and vice versa.
This has caused much ire as the root cause of the problem stems from reliance on information obtained from the DOE for decision-making on school closures - the only source of information other than independent API readers, or our own noses and eyes.
Air pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it is mass murder through chemical poisoning. We have more than tolerated this annual event. There needs to be long-term solutions to solve this matter once and for all. Enough is enough.
How is the rakyat supposed to place trust in a department entrusted to approve Environmental Impact Assessment reports for mega-projects when it cannot even provide proper information on the haze?
