LATEST ON FIRE SITUATION: Uggah being interviewed by reporters yesterday
KUCHING: The bush fire in Tudan, Miri, on Sunday is being investigated to establish whether there is any element of negligence on the part of the landowner.
In revealing this to the media here yesterday, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas said they were investigating the landowner to see what action could be taken.
“That particular site is supposed to be a housing resettlement for Tudan. We are investigating the landowner, and we will see what action we can take because should he have looked after his property properly there shouldn’t be any fire,” Uggah told reporters after presenting grants amounting to RM1 million for the rebuilding of two historical churches in Betong and Sri Aman yesterday.
He said the government had to be strict because if illegal burning could plunge the nation into haze and inflict health hazards.
“We hope from now onwards, in view of the hot and dry weather all over the country, everyone will stop open burning.
“For Sarawak, open burning in plantations has been frozen, and, therefore, any open burning that you see are illegal and our department will take action.”
Uggah said ever since the ban on open burning was imposed last June, five companies had been booked for illegal burning.
Three of those booked were in plantation estates and the remaining two in land development.
“They are still being investigated to see what actions can be taken against them.”
On the high air pollutant index (API) in Tudan, he said that it was due to the thick smoke and also because the API station was just nearby.