State of Emergency?

[Ski]

Hi
Just got this from BBC : can anyone confirm this please.?

Malaysia haze triggers emergency

Hospitals are inundated because of the haze
Malaysia has declared a state of emergency after air pollution in parts of the country reached danger levels.
Smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia has pushed an air pollution index over an emergency mark of 500.

A reading above 500 is judged extremely hazardous, and the haze has already prompted the closure of some schools.

Malaysian and Indonesian officials are to meet to discuss the fires, mainly caused by illegal land clearance on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The readings over 500 have only been detected in the western towns of Port Klang and Kuala Selangor.

MALAYSIA AIR QUALITY
0-50: good
51-100: moderate
101-200: unhealthy
201-300: very unhealthy
301-500: hazardous

However, government officials said the state of emergency would extend inland to the entire Klang valley, covering the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Schools in Kuala Lumpur have already been ordered to close because of worsening pollution.

Fighting fire

The BBC's Malaysia correspondent, Jonathan Kent, says the acrid smog that has enveloped Kuala Lumpur and cities nearby shows no sign of lifting.


On Wednesday, Malaysia's government said that an air pollution reading of over 500 would automatically prompt the declaration of a state of emergency.

That in turn could prompt the government to order the closure of all non-essential government and private workplaces.

With stock markets falling and hospitals inundated with people complaining of eye, throat and chest problems, Malaysia is offering Indonesia help to put out the fires that are causing the problem.

The two countries' leaders spoke on Wednesday, and ministers and are due to meet on Sumatra, where some 300 hot spots are being monitored.

Malaysian officials would say only that there is a definite willingness to co-operate.

Authorities in Kuala Lumpur and parts of the state of Selangor have decided to close schools in the worst affected areas for two days.

Students in schools that remain open are being told to stay in their classrooms, drink warm water and wear masks if they have to venture outdoors.

Our correspondent says there is no silver lining to this smog for those students who been told to stay at home.

They will have to make up for missed lessons on Saturdays once the pollution has eased.

[jand]

heard from a friend that RTM will be announcing something. Keep an eye/ear out.

[Ski]

So can we all go home!!! Why only schools closed ..we have no lungs or what? :confused:

[jand]

no, so sorry, no.

You will have to stay in whatever building you're in. The Army will deploy to secure crucial city areas, the Navy will deploy around the waters surrounding M'sia and the Air Force will enforce a no-fly zone in M'sian airspace.

oh, so sorry, that's for martial law, not emergency. again, so sorry.

Please proceed to the nearest clinic and obtain an MC from the doctor and proceed home.

so sorry. ;)

[jand]

just a little morbid thought: how's the health of our national grid?

with everyone now turning the a/c on, what if crap really hits the roof and the grid trips and we're experiencing peninsula-wide blackout. No electricty, no water and worse of all, NO INTERNET ACCESS!! :eek:

no access to information is bad news. Do we have local centres to disseminate? all gather at MPSJ?

[bslee]

I'd rate those responsible for the open burning & haze no less than criminal drug distributors who deserve to be penalized to the maximum! and I'd hate them more if I hear there are ANY thoughtless Malaysians behind it all!. :mad:

[Ski]

"We are now in a state of emergency," says a National Security Council official got this from Malaysiakini..this is very serious man.

[ksj_cool]

only KLang and Kuala Selangor declared emergency ..

[fRaNkY]

Subang and KL tak da ka? :( ... it is as bad. Cant even see RTM from Kerinchi LRT!

[gtl]

unable to get into any gomen website to get a confirmation. pls guide me............

[SunwayKid]

What does a state of emergency mean ? Do we stop going to work, stock up on food or what ? Declaring state of emergency but don't say what it is all about is of no use. Bernama just issue a three liner.

I already declare state of emergency since Monday - to me, that means stay at home, close all windows and doors, full blast the purifiers and get out the dvds! :)

[SunwayKid]

One more thing, on your fan at full blasts - point it at Sumatra direction. :D

[Ski]

We need International help to douce the fires before its becomes critical
and catastrophic..Both governments should get outside help if they cant do it by themselves.

[jand]

this is like bloody bonkers, man.
only kuala selangor and port klang? out on the street less than 10m away, i can hardly differentiate the exhaust fumes from a diesel powered lorry from the surrounding air.

If the air is as dense as the exhaust fumes, isn't it dangerous already?

[uchangeng]

Mass Evacuation out of KL.!? Anyone thought of this yet?

[SunwayKid]

Not so nice thought - maybe we should all hope that Sumatra get tsunamied again and douse all the hot spots. If their people and govt don't care about our bolehland health, why should we even spare a thought for them. Regret donating to the Tsunami fund. :mad:

[Ski]

Mass Evacuation out of KL.!? Anyone thought of this yet?
I have maybe to Taiping if i can survive till Friday Evening

[jand]

source: Prime Minister's Office
http://www.pmo.gov.my/WebNotesApp/PMMain.nsf/hv_PMKiniSemasaNew/81714211A39BF89C4825705A0037403B

copied here in case you're unable to access it

Oleh/By : DATO' SERI ABDULLAH BIN HAJI AHMAD BADAWI
Tempat/Venue : PEJABAT PERDANA MENTERI
Tarikh/Date : 11/08/2005
Tajuk/Title : PENGISYTIHARAN DARURAT JEREBU



PENGISYTIHARAN DARURAT JEREBU



Memandangkan keadaan jerebu di kawasan Kuala Selangor dan Pelabuhan Klang pasa masa ini telah mencapai tahap Indeks Pencemar Udara (IPU) 500 ke atas, maka dengan ini, saya mengisytiharkan keadaan Darurat Jerebu bagi seluruh kawasan Kuala Selangor dan Pelabuhan Klang mulai dari sekarang hingga ke suatu masa pengisytiharan ini ditarik balik.

2. Adalah dijelaskan bahawa pengisytiharan Darurat Jerebu ini tidak melibatkan penguatkuasaan perintah berkurung dan juga tidak ada perubahan dalam corak dan sistem pemerintahan Kerajaan Selangor sekarang ini. Walau bagaimanapun, Polis DiRaja Malaysia dan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia hendaklah mengatur dan mengambil langkah-langkah yang perlu bagi menjamin keberterusan keamanan dan keselamatan.

3. Satu Garis Panduan mengenai tindakan untuk menghadapi Darurat Jerebu ini disediakan seperti di Lampiran A. Semua pihak hendaklah melaksanakan tugas dan tanggungjawab masing-masing dengan berpandukan Garis Panduan tersebut.






Perdana Menteri
Merangkap Pengarah Gerakan Negara.

11 Ogos 2005

[mon]

Not so nice thought - maybe we should all hope that Sumatra get tsunamied again and douse all the hot spots. If their people and govt don't care about our bolehland health, why should we even spare a thought for them. Regret donating to the Tsunami fund. :mad:

eh don't be like that, tho i feel crazy too. did u watch de tom cruise alien from de sky movie (sorry can't remember de name) hope we won't end up like those ppl trying to evacuate! a friend jokingly claimed that this haze is a terrorist act!, just like the tsunami in which she tot some ppl deliberately cause de earthquake!
just for laughs but i guess we will learn to adapt, it's our human nature ma... :cool:

[VeeJay]

PM: Emergency does not involve curfew

News Updated by The Star Newsdesk as at 5.10pm

In view of the current haze situation in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang that has now reached the API level of 500 and above, I now declare a state of emergency for the whole area of Kuala Selangor and Port Klang with immediate effect indefinitely.

The haze emergency declaration will not involve the enforcement of curfew nor a change in the Selangor current administration.

However, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Armed Forces are required to arrange and take measures to guarantee continued peace and security.

A guideline on the actions to face the emergency is outlined as contained in Appendix A. All parties are required to carry out their respective duties and responsibilities based on the guideline.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Acting Director of National Operations Centre

[jand]

hahah.. terrorist act. sorry lar, we're M'sians. We call apple, an apple and haze, haze. We're educated people, not backward people who can't read or without reasoning abilities.

I'm only sore that they missed out something in the declaration: BAN ALL OPEN SMOKING!
:rolleyes: :D

[isarahim]

Not so nice thought - maybe we should all hope that Sumatra get tsunamied again and douse all the hot spots. If their people and govt don't care about our bolehland health, why should we even spare a thought for them. Regret donating to the Tsunami fund. :mad:

Lo and behold! You are talking about completely different parts of Sumatra!

There's no open burning in Aceh!

Rather you should wish that Malaysian tycoons who are responsible have serious breathing problems by now.

[jand]

Visibility (http://www.kjc.gov.my/english/service/observation/visibility.html)

Subang and PJ at 0.3km visibility and no emergency? hmm...

[Ski]

With Port Kelang closed will prices of goods soar up!!! how abt perisable food in containers it might get destroyed..storage time will affect all quarters..Lots of our raw food come via this port!!!

[SunwayKid]

Lo and behold! You are talking about completely different parts of Sumatra!

There's no open burning in Aceh!

Rather you should wish that Malaysian tycoons who are responsible have serious breathing problems by now.

Ok, I wish for that too but they are probably somewhere overseas, possibly in London with their families. Need you to wish that for us choking in pj.

Not referring to Aceh lah - Aceh where got hot spots lagi. But it is still the same govt, every year, same thing but no enforcement. Talk already for so many years, still talking. By the time finished table talk, we all in another world already. :(

[mon]

hahah.. terrorist act. sorry lar, we're M'sians. We call apple, an apple and haze, haze. We're educated people, not backward people who can't read or without reasoning abilities.

I'm only sore that they missed out something in the declaration: BAN ALL OPEN SMOKING!
:rolleyes: :D

just went out to get some food, tis guy passed by me smoking and guess wat! i can't differenciate the cigarrete smoke from the haze.

[isarahim]

Need you to wish that for us choking in pj.

I'm in KL. Sorry I'm not changing my tag whenever I go back and forth but you can spot it from my IP address. So I'm in it the haze as well...I timed it perfectly right this time....

(hmm not always true though, since I sometimes use the Malaysian office server as proxy also when I'm travelling).

I was visiting Petronas today actually. Our meeting room was facing Tower II. At one point you could see Tower II from Tower I only very vaguely, like a dark shadow, like spotting a ship in thick fog...you remember that old horror movie...

[penangkia]

Not so nice thought - maybe we should all hope that Sumatra get tsunamied again and douse all the hot spots. If their people and govt don't care about our bolehland health, why should we even spare a thought for them. Regret donating to the Tsunami fund. :mad:

Kinda agree with Sunway...though not another tsunami.

Malaysian went out of their way to raise sizable aids to indonesians and they repay us by ramming our navy, burning our flag and air mailing us carbon and sulfur which we did not order. Now our bolehland leaders have to go there softly softly with tails tucked over it's ass#s to "discuss"
How about the decency of their leaders coming to bolehland and make not just a public apology but a scout honour pledge that this will never happen again and all those resposible are dealt with including bolehland idiots who caused these yearly havoc. Offer some symbolic compensation perhaps.

What's with these indonesians???