Environmentalists decry lack of awareness on open burning hazards, propose stricter measures

SHAH ALAM – Environmentalists are sounding the alarm over the grave environmental threat posed by open burning, stressing the need for more stringent actions from authorities to curb this hazardous practice.

Open burning, often employed for land clearing or waste disposal, releases harmful pollutants into the air and exacerbates global warming.

Despite its known dangers, a critical knowledge gap persisted, impeding enforcement efforts.

Environmentalist and naturalist Andrew J. Sebastian said many were unaware of that fact that they could report instances of open burning to the police.

This, he said was due to the absence of widespread awareness campaigns or clear knowledge of relevant laws, leaving people uninformed about the risks associated with this practice.

"There has not been an open advertisement in the mass media about the urgency of reporting about open burning, nor do people know the laws about open burning.

"When it comes to open burning, people need to know the safety of the materials being burned especially for farmers managing their paddies, for example, their rubber plantations, as the activities emit so much smoke containing air pollutants," he told Sinar Daily.

While acknowledging the low level of public awareness and government action on this issue, Sebastian proposed practical solutions such as establishing a dedicated hotline for reporting open burning incidents.

"Public awareness is low in terms of open burning, while the government is also not taking much action to promote about it, hence the knowledge gap.

"There is also lack of enforcement of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 other than the existing penalty," he said.

He said the federal government can create stronger laws, impose stricter penalties and invest more in manpower to ensure more effective monitoring and regulation of open burning activities.

Sebastian who is a member of the Malaysian Nature Society also urged authorities to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserved, likening it to other illegal activities such as logging and poaching due to its significant short-term and long-term consequences on the environment.

Besides having an impact on the ecosystem, he said open burning also posed significant health risks to people, particularly children and the elderly, who were more vulnerable to diseases.

Meanwhile, EcoKnights vice-president Amlir Ayat also highlighted the detrimental health effects of open burning ranging from short-term symptoms like headaches and respiratory issues like breathing difficulties, nose irritation and coughing to more severe long-term consequences such as lung infections and genetic damage.

"The most worrying are the long-term consequences, such as lung infections, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, allergies and even genetic damage.

"There is still a lot that needs to be done as far as public awareness is concerned," he said when contacted.

Under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, offenders could face fines of up to RM500,000 or a maximum imprisonment of five years, or both, upon conviction.

Recently, it was reported that the Kedah Department of Environment (DOE) received a total of 117 complaints on open burning between Jan 1 and March 23.

Most of the complaints involved open burning in residential areas, villages and commercial sites.

The department's director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry has activated the National Open Burning Action Plan (PTPTK) to prevent open burning and haze situations that could affect the air quality.

She said the state's DOE has distributed leaflets regarding the ban on open burning to locals and carried out periodic patrols adding that the department had investigated all the complaints.

She said the department will also impose a compound of RM2,000 for each pile of burning carried out and if the burning spreads to a larger area, it will recommend opening an investigation paper with a maximum fine of RM500,000.

The public can channel complaints or information on open burning to the toll-free line at 1-800-88-2727 or via the DOE e-complaint portal at http://e-aduan.doe.gov.my.