 Forest fires sets by irresponsible farmers in the West Coast Division has been blamed for the increase of hotspots in Sabah, such as this which was taken on 16 March 2016. | |
| Date | 27 March – 13 April |
|---|---|
| Location | Sabah, Malaysia |
| Cause | Fire sets by arsonists |
| Property damage | RM100 million [1]
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| Southeast Asian haze series |
|---|
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| History |
| Key topics |
| Responses |
| See also |
 Category |
The fires since the mid-March has caused part of Sabah, especially in the West Coast Division to be blanketed by haze. [2]
The fires became worse due to the effects of the 2014–16 El Niño event. [3] Natural Resource and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said open burning by farmers are the main cause of the fire and haze. [4] [5] Meanwhile, the Beaufort District Officer Mohd Shaid Othman said that the fires were caused by greedy hunters who wanted to search for deer easily. This was supported by Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) findings. [6] The SFD has confirmed that arsonists were behind the forest fires that burned the Trusmadi and Binsuluk Forest Reserves, which blanketed the Sabah West Coast with haze. [7] However, the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) dismissed the claims of the Beaufort District Officer as the areas has poor presence of animals. [8] While Sabah Minister of Tourism Masidi Manjun also blamed greedy hunters as well some irresponsible smokers that like to threw their cigarettes anywhere. [9]
The forest fires have resulted in the closing of 77 schools in the West Coast Division with effect to health with the increase in respiratory related illness. [2] [10] [11] [12] [13] In addition, 3,000 hectares of Binsuluk Forest Reserve and almost 10,000 hectares of alienated lands have been destroyed in eight districts including Keningau, Beaufort and Sook being the most affected. While the fires in the Trusmadi Forest Reserve destroyed some 660 hectares. [9]
Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has directed any relevant authorities to remain vigilant to any emergency situation while reminding the public to stop any open burning that would worsen the situation and to limit their outdoor activities during the haze. [14] Firefighters from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan branch of Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department have been instructed to combat the fire. [15] [16] After seeing the condition, firefighters decided to use aerial firefighting beside fighting it in the ground using nearby water sources. [17] The haze also made the Sabah state government urging the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation for cloud seeding as air quality continued to be worsened. [18] [19] Replying to the request, The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) begun cloud seeding operation on 7 April using the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft which been departed from Labuan Base. [20] On 9 April, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Madius Tangau said more rain will be expected to come to Sabah and any further cloud seeding are not necessary as a cloud seeding operation had earlier been carried out using the RMAF aircraft but only managed to trigger rain for 30 minutes as there was insufficient towering cumulus. [21] [22] As of 12 April, Sabah Meteorological acting director Lim Ze Hui stated that "most areas in Sabah have received rains with the setting in of the inter-monsoon over the weekend". [23]
All schools were reopened on 6 April. The fires was fully recovered on 3 April with firefighters took eight days to put out, [24] while haze fully disappeared on 13 April. [9] After the forest fires, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Madius Tangau has present his solution on the issues to prevent it from recurring in the future as "prevention is much better than to cure". [13] As an appreciation to all firefighters involved in the operation, the Malaysian main private media company, Media Prima has presented a total of RM26,000 aid. [25]
Mount Trusmadi or Trus Madi is a mountain located at the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. It is considered as the second highest mountain in both Sabah and Malaysia at 2,642 metres (8,668 ft), after Mount Kinabalu with Trusmadi offering a tougher climbing challenge than the latter.
The 2006 Southeast Asian haze was an air pollution event caused by continuous, uncontrolled burning from "slash and burn" cultivation in Indonesia, which affected several countries in the Southeast Asian region and beyond, including Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, and as far away as Saipan; the effects of the haze may have even spread to South Korea. Local sources of industrial pollution also, inadvertently, contributed to increases in air toxicity ; notably at-risk areas included communities close to textile factories, fertilizer plants, meat-packing plants, industrialised dairy farms, shipping ports, and oil refineries. Air quality was lower, overall, for residents of more densely-populated cities. In the highly urban and industrialised Klang Valley of Malaysia, in particular, the surrounding elevated terrain acted as a natural retainer of polluted air, aggravating the situation as the haze set in.
The 1997 group of forest fires in Indonesia that lasted well into 1998 were probably among the two or three, if not the largest, forest fires group in the last two centuries of recorded history.
Labuan–Menumbok Bridge or Labuan Bridge is a new planned bridge connecting Labuan Island in Federal Territory of Labuan and Menumbok in Sabah, Malaysia.
The environment of Malaysia is the biotas and geologies that constitute the natural environment of Malaysia. Malaysia's ecology is megadiverse, with a biodiverse range of flora and fauna found in various ecoregions throughout the country. Tropical rainforests encompass between 59% and 70% of Malaysia's total land area, of which 11.6% is pristine. Malaysia has the world's fifth largest mangrove area, which totals over a half a million hectares.
Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing is a Malaysian politician. He is a member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly and a former Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the seat of Tuaran, Sabah (2008–2013).
The 2005 Malaysian haze was an air pollution crisis caused primarily by fires in neighbouring Indonesia. In August 2005, haze spread across Malaysia from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, leading to air quality reaching hazardous levels in certain states and the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian government declared states of emergency in affected regions, closed schools and held crisis talks with Indonesian officials. Farmers regularly burn scrub and forest to clear land during the dry season for agricultural purposes. The 2005 haze was at the time the worst to hit Malaysia since 1997.
Operation Haze is the biggest cross-border firefighting mission in history that involved teams of Malaysian firefighters going across to Indonesia to assist with putting out major fires that were causing severe haze across Southeast Asia.
Datuk Seri Panglima Hajah Azizah binti Mohd Dun is a Malaysian politician who served as Chairperson of the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) from May 2020 to December 2022 and of the Special Select Committee on Fundamental Liberty and Constitutional Rights from November 2021 to November 2022, Deputy Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from August 2020 to October 2022, the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development and Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Ministers Najib Razak and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well as former Ministers Rohani Abdul Karim and Ong Ka Ting from May 2013 to May 2018 and from March 2004 to March 2008 respectively. She also served as the State Minister of Community Development and Consumer Affairs of Sabah in the BN state administration under former Chief Minister Musa Aman from 2008 to 2013. In addition, she served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beaufort from March 2004 to March 2008 and again from May 2013 to November 2022 as well as Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Klias from March 2008 to May 2013. She is a member of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) as well as formerly Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalitions and was a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the BN coalition. She left UMNO to be an independent in 2018 and later joined BERSATU in 2019.
The 2013 Southeast Asian haze was a haze crisis that affected several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Southern Thailand, mainly during June and July 2013. The haze period was caused by large-scale burning in many parts of Sumatra and Borneo. Satellite imagery from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites showed that the haze was mainly due to smoke from fires burning in Riau province, Indonesia.
The 2015 Southeast Asian haze was an air pollution crisis affecting several countries in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tuaran from November 1999 to March 2008 and again since May 2013. He served as the Deputy Chief Minister and State Minister of Trade and Industry of Sabah in the Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) state administration from May 2018 to the collapse of the WARISAN administration in September 2020, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation from July 2015 to May 2018. He is a member of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), a component party of the PH coalition. He has served as the Honorary President of UPKO since January 2023, 2nd President of UPKO from March 2014 to January 2023, when he served in the official capacity from September 2018 to January 2023 and acting capacity from March 2014 following the resignation of Bernard Giluk Dompok to his official assumption of UPKO presidency in September 2018.
RTM TV Okey is a Malaysian free-to-air television channel operated by Radio Televisyen Malaysia dedicated to East Malaysians and urban youths. It was launched on 21 March 2018 and airs programmes in English, Malay, and East Malaysian languages such as Bajau, Dusun, Kadazan (Sabah) and Iban (Sarawak).
A trans-national air pollution crisis affected several countries in Southeast Asia from February to September 2019, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation is a multiracial political party based in Sabah, Malaysia. The party was rebranded from its previous party's name, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation using the same UPKO acronym; which was a widely known Kadazan-Dusun-Murut based party in 2019. The party had earlier been renamed once before in 1999 from its initial 1994 formation name of Sabah Democratic Party. In August 2021, UPKO has officially joined the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition as a component party.
Ben Chong Chen Bin is a Malaysian politician who has served as Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Tanjong Kapor since May 2018. He served as the State Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry of Sabah in the Heritage Party (WARISAN) state administration under former Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and former State Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau from May 2018 to the collapse of WARISAN state administration in September 2020. He is an independent in support of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition until February 21, 2023. He was member of the GAGASAN, the major component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) since 2023.
Azhar bin Matussin is a Malaysian politician who has served as Member of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Darau since September 2020. He served as the State Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry of Sabah in the Heritage Party (WARISAN) state administration under former Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and former Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau from May 2018 to the collapse of the WARISAN state administration in September 2020 and MLA for Karambunai from May 2018 to September 2020. He is a member of WARISAN.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, officially Gabungan Rakyat Sabah Party is Malaysian coalition of Sabah-based parties.
Binsuluk Forest Reserve is a protected forest reserve on the Klias Peninsula, in Beaufort District of Interior Division, Sabah, Malaysia. It was designated as a Class 1 Protection Forest by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1992. Its area is 12,106 hectares (121.06 km2). The reserve is mostly flat, consisting mostly of peat swamp forest, with a small area of mangroves. The peat forests within this reserve, along with those in the nearby Klias Forest Reserve, are the last peat forests in Sabah.
Klias Forest Reserve is a protected forest reserve on the Klias Peninsula, in Beaufort District of Interior Division, Sabah, Malaysia. It was designated as a Class 1 Protection Forest by the Sabah Forestry Department in 1984. Its area is 3,630 hectares (36.3 km2). The reserve is mostly flat, consisting mainly of peat swamp forest, with a small area of mangroves. The peat forests within this reserve, along with those in the nearby Binsuluk Forest Reserve, are the last peat forests in Sabah.
