Malaysia was reported on Tuesday (27 October) to have entered this year’s north-east monsoon season. Authorities said changing wind directions and heavy rainfall would significantly ease the haze across the country, but warned the public of the risk of floods and landslides brought on by heavy rain.
For more than two months, south-westerly winds had carried the haze from forest and peat fires in Indonesia's Sumatra, Riau and Kalimantan towards Malaysia. Air quality across Malaysia has improved markedly with the shift to north-easterly winds.
As of 9pm on Tuesday, the Malaysian Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index Management System showed that 21 of the country's 68 monitoring stations recorded good air quality, while the remaining 47 recorded moderate readings. It was the first time in more than two months that no area in Malaysia had recorded unhealthy air quality.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who chairs the National Disaster Management Agency, said on Facebook that this year's north-east monsoon season was expected to last from Tuesday until March next year.
He said persistent rain during this period could cause flooding, while rough seas were also expected; residents in high-risk areas should take extra care.
The Meteorological Department forecast three to five spells of heavy rain between November this year and January next year. These could increase the risk of flooding, especially near rivers and in low-lying areas.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Mohamad Hisham said in a statement on Tuesday that the department was on high alert nationwide. A total of 25,592 firefighters and 1,248 rescue assets have been mobilised across the country and will remain on standby until March next year.
Several days of heavy rain along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia have already triggered four landslides, killing at least two people. One occurred in Pasir Gudang, Johor, on Saturday (24 October) morning, when soil on a slope suddenly collapsed and buried a 48-year-old man who was carrying out excavation work.
Penang saw landslides on three consecutive days from Sunday to Tuesday. On Sunday morning, a landslide at Taman Lau Geok Swee in Air Itam engulfed three people. Two escaped in time, but a 73-year-old retiree was buried alive.
Another landslide occurred at Leisure Bay condominium in Tanjung Tokong the following day, followed by one at All Seasons Park condominium in Air Itam at noon on Tuesday. Neither caused casualties.
Separately, a Malaysian botanist warned that besides affecting public health, pollutants in the haze, including fine particulate matter and coarse ash, could also affect the quality of Malaysian durians, hurting production and export volumes.
Malay-language newspaper Kosmo! reported on Tuesday that Mohamad Firdaus, a lecturer in plant science at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said the haze could interfere with durian pollination, leading to poor fruit development, firmer flesh, uneven ripening and changes in flesh colour.
