An opposition MP from Johor has questioned the low number of air quality monitoring devices in the state despite it being a huge state and close to Indonesia, the source of the worsening haze that is now hitting Malaysia.

DAP's Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong urged Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to show greater commitment to tackle the haze problem, which today hit the "dangerous" level in some parts of Johor.

NONE According to Liew ( left ), there are only four locations in Johor which have Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) monitoring devices.

The four APIMS remote sensing devices in Johor are located in Larkin Lama, Muar, Pasir Gudang and in Kota Tinggi.

"When Muar had to close its afternoon session schools today due to an API level of 383 (which is categorised as dangerous), residents in nearby Kluang were concerned about their level of air pollution, which could already be seen as having deteriorated.

"However, the Meteorological Department does not have remote sensing devices in Kluang to measure the air pollutant index (API)," Liew said in a statement issued today.

Much smaller states have three APIMS devices

He pointed out that Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Pahang and Terengganu each have three APIMS devices.

"Johor as the second biggest state in the peninsula should have more APIMS devices installed to measure and monitor air pollution, particularly because of its proximity to our known forest-fire-prone neighbour, Indonesia."

Liew wants Palanivel to increase the number of APIMS devices in Johor.

There are two APIMS devices each in Kelantan and Malacca respectively, four each in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur, five each in Perak and Selangor, 10 in Sarawak and one in Perlis.

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