‘Unfair to compare API, PSI’

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Wan Junaidi: Malaysia, Singapore have own system in assessing air quality and pollution levels

Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

KUCHING: The glaring difference in readings between the Air Pollutant Index (API) and Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) released by the authorities in Malaysia and Singapore, respectively, should not be subjected to a head-to-head comparison.

According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the Singaporean government has been using a benchmarking system based on particulate matter (PM) 2.5 since mid-last year, while Malaysia uses the PM10 guideline.

“Our universal benchmark system is used and recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and accepted by all the countries in the world. Only Singapore, in the whole of Asean, is using the PM2.5 benchmark,” he said during a press conference after officiating at the convocation of Sarawak Community College at Dewan Hikmah here yesterday.

In layman’s terms, a PSI value of 398 based on PM2.5 corresponds to a reading of 216 on the PM10 benchmark.

Wan Junaidi also said for the PM10 to reach the dangerous level, the API would be at 200 and above, while the PM2.5-based reading would be at 300.

On this, he said the Malaysian government would consider carrying out cloud-seeding operations and providing health advisory to the people once the API reached 100.

He also said despite the different machines or stations used to measure air quality in Singapore and Malaysia, both governments remained focused on prioritising the health of their respective citizens.

Having said this, Wan Junaidi said the Malaysian government would still need a tremendous amount of funding to equip all stations nationwide with machines that could carry out readings based on the PM2.5 benchmark.

“It (PM2.5-based system) can only be implemented in 2017 because the procurement (of machines) will cost the government a huge amount.

Haze: Singapore govt goes ahead on legal action against Indonesian companies

“For example; if Singapore needs five machines, we need more than 50. If it costs the Singapore government SG$100 million, in Malaysia it could cost ten times more,” he added.

On a relevant matter, Wan Junaidi – who is Santubong MP – acknowledged that the Singapore government was taking legal action in accordance to its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, against companies in Indonesia blamed for the massive plantation fires which contributed to the haze.

“Currently, we do not have such Act. I have just taken helm of this ministry and currently, we are still in the proposal stage,” he said.

The proposal for a similar Act, he added, had been discussed with the Attorney-General. On this, Wan Junaidi hoped that it could be approved in Parliament as soon as possible.

“With the Transboundary Haze Act, maybe the Singapore government could use it (Act) to take action against any of the companies that are conducting indiscriminate burning activities in Indonesia.”

For now, Malaysia is only using the Tort Act, which according to Wan Junaidi is a legal stumbling block.

“Say there are 200 companies and 200,000 individuals in Indonesia conducting open burning. Whose smoke is actually causing the transboundary haze? If we cannot prove that it is their smoke from which is causing the haze, we cannot hold them liable under the Tort Act.”

Wan Junaidi also assured all that the transboundary haze would be further elaborated during an inter-regional ministerial meeting on the environment at Ho Chin Minh City in Vietnam end of this month.

Asked if a bilateral meeting between relevant authorities in Malaysia and their Indonesian counterparts would take place anytime soon after two postponements, Wan Junaidi said that would have to wait as many Indonesian officials were still busy on the ground.

“There is no specific date, but it has to be done as the bilateral meeting was already agreed during a sub-regional meeting on July 22-28 this year between Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore,” he added.

Meanwhile at a separate function here, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said the Malaysian government had no intention to take legal action against companies responsible for the forest fires in Indonesia.

“Malaysia and Indonesia have been in constant discussions over the haze problem, and we hope for positive outcome from the discussions. There is no need to sue anyone,” she told reporters after launching an event hosted by SM Teknik Sejingkat here yesterday.

The de-facto Law Minister was responding to questions of whether Malaysia would follow the Singaporean government’s move.

According to Nancy, there are many things to look into, particularly in the areas of international law and international relations

“It can be quite debatable. We have to see where our jurisdiction is, then we have to see which companies and what areas are involved, and so on. We also have yet to see the success rate of Singapore in suing the companies.”

Under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which came into effect in September last year, regulators can fine or sue individuals or companies for activities leading to severe air pollution in the island republic.

The Act allows Singapore’s National Environment Ministry to formally ask its Indonesian counterpart for a list of companies suspected to be behind the fires, once the information has been confirmed.