PETALING JAYA: DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang today took Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to task, saying that the Minister is sleeping on his job.
“I am both impressed and dejected – impressed by the professionalism of the Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) in recording and posting on its website the hourly Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) to provide accurate and timely information about air pollution levels in the island republic.
“Dejected by the contrasting failure and lack of professionalism of the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) to provide prompt readings on its website of the Air Pollutant Index (API) from its 52 Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) locations in the country, although the API readings are only provided thrice a day at 7am, 11 am and 5 pm,” he said.
The DAP leader said in his blog ,he checked the Malaysian API readings on the Department’s website at 11am today but the results only appeared after more than two hours which was at 1pm.
In contrast the PSI readings of the Singapore NEA for 1pm came out promptly at 1pm.
“I can understand that with 52 API readings from 52 APIM locations throughout Malaysia, it is not practically possible to post the latest API readings for all the 52 locations on time, but surely, it does not have to take more than two hours to post the latest API readings on its website.
“Is it being unreasonable to expect the latest API readings to be posted within 10 minutes of the given time, i.e. 7 am, 11 am and 5 pm, if the system is efficient and professional.
“This is an example where the new Environment Minister Palanivel is sleeping on his job when Malaysians particularly in Johore are suffering from the haze hazards,” he added.
He said despite the haze emergency in Johore, the Department of Environment has failed to set up more APIM locations in the state to monitor the air pollution readings – such as Kulai, Pontian, Batu Pahat, Kluang and Segamat.
“This is another example of Palanivel sleeping on his job as Environment Minister,” Lim said.
Meanwhile, Palanivel in a press statement today acknowledged that the API reading for Muar was fast reaching 400, which is considered hazardous.
He also announced that he was scheduled to visit Jakarta, yesterday but “but the Indonesian officials were not available and the visit has to be postponed to next Wednesday.”
Palanivel said he will hold discussion with his Indonesian counterpart to bring forward the haze meeting, which was originally scheduled for Aug 20 and 21.
Palanivel also said he will discuss proactive moves with his Indonesian counterpart on matters such as cloud seeding and enforcement of stricter laws and penalties.
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