KUCHING (Bernama) – Engagements with companies having huge land banks which comprise peat soil in Miri have resulted in them adopting measures and standard operating procedures (SOP) to effectively prevent and suppress peat fire which contribute to the haze.

Sarawak Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the SOP was a guideline on appropriate immediate action for them to take if dry weather persisted for five consecutive days and the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading reached 50 while FWI (Fine Weather Index) reached seven.

He was replying to Piasu State Assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting at the second day of the state legislative assembly sitting yesterday.

Ting had asked what urgent policies and action plans were in place to halt the occurrence of the annual haze problem in Miri.

He had also wanted to know the state government’s assurance that open burning and haze would not recur.

Len Talif said the state natural resources environment board (NREB) had in August signed a memorandum of understanding with the Naim Land Sendiran Berhad, Shin Yang Forestry Sendirian Berhad, Woodman Group of Companies and Pantai Bayu Indah Sendirian Berhad on the implementation of the SOP.