KUCHING, Aug 19 — The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) will step up border patrols and focus on advocacy along the Malaysia-Indonesia border areas in a move to stop open burning activities that have resulted in the haze, said its director Datuk Khirudin Drahman.
He said the move followed a report of open burning activity made by an airline, MASwings, to the department yesterday at Long Seridan, a settlement near the border area and located about 275km east of Miri.
“After receiving the report, we sent a helicopter to the area (to put out the fire) which involved an area of approximately 0.4 hectares. We also ask the agency that issued the open fire permit to stop (the activity) for now,” he said when met after attending a Fire Safety Campaign for Children here today.
He also said that joint patrols by the JBPM and the Department of Environment (DOE) have been carried out in nine areas identified as hot spots to prevent open burning incidents.
Meanwhile, he said that today’s campaign was the first collaboration between Sarawak JBPM and Yayasan Farley to raise awareness among students at national-type Chinese schools.
Khirudin said Mandarin will be used to make it easier for the Chinese community to learn about fire safety.
“The JBPM, in collaboration with the Fire Prevention Council Malaysia, will be involved in this programme together with its experienced head coach Lim Kim Len.
“The Batu Lintang Fire and Rescue station will be the main location for the programme. Hence, parents and schools wanting to participate in this programme can visit the station anytime,” he added. — Bernama
