M'sia to adopt similar haze measurement system to Singapore

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will adopt a similar Air Pollutant Index (API) measurement as Singapore, by including the measurement of fine dust measuring 2.5 micron (PM2.5) within the next two years.
Currently, the country’s monitoring stations only measure five parameters, including fine dust of 10 microns (PM10), unlike neighbouring Singapore which had adopted the PM2.5 reading since 2014.
This had led to confusion among the public when the API readings in Johor was only about half that of the island state earlier this week, forcing Putrajaya to address and explain the issue.
This is because an API measurement based on PM2.5 will give a higher reading than PM10.
National Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Hamim Samuri told a press conference today that the ministry is pushing for all 52 monitoring stations in the country to include measuring PM2.5 in two years’ time.
“We are aware of the need to include PM2.5 in our measurement,” he said, adding that the issue had even been outlined in the 11th Malaysian Plan.
Hamim, however, pointed out that it takes longer for Malaysia to fully implement it nationwide, compared to Singapore, because the island state is smaller in size and has fewer monitoring stations.
He also stressed that despite various arguments, the current measurement system used by Malaysia is consistent with the international standard protocol, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan, meanwhile, said the government has been making preparations for the inclusion of PM2.5 since 2012.
She added that to date the DOE already has 12 stations capable of measuring PM2.5.
“But we have 52 stations nationwide. Once all stations are upgraded, then we can start fitting in the formula,” she added.
She said is will cost the government RM6.24 million to upgrade the equipment at all 52 stations while the annual operating cost will be RM840,000.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai, Johor today announced that it had implemented the PM2.5 air particulate measurement for API at its campus,
UTM campus sustainability office director Professor Dr Mohd Fathil Mohd Din said it had set up a temporary air quality measurement station for its students and residents in the campus.
Fathil said it commenced measuring PM2.5 API on Wednesday and the reading at the campus was about the same as that of Woodlands in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry’s Environmental and Occupational Health sector chief Dr Daud Abd Rahim pointed out the danger of the much smaller PM2.5 dust compared to the PM10 was that the former is more capable of entering deeper into the lungs of humans and cause more danger to one’s health.
“If there is haze, the health implication is there but there is a difference between the two,” he said, adding on a short term there will be more respiratory-linked illnesses like asthma while long term it could even go as far as causing damage to the lungs.
He said including the PM2.5 to the system will ascertain stringent standards and enable effective sharing of information with other countries.