Kuala Lumpur, 2nd December 1997

Now that the haze episode is over, we must continually remind ourselves that it must not recur, at least not on the grand scale of 1997. Pushing aside the PM10s or dust particulate, the major component of the transboundary haze, we still have the unsettled business of reducing the concentrations of the other four gases in the local haze soup.

The Malaysian Nature Society fully supports the suggestions by the Director-General of the Department of the Environment, Mr Tan Meng Leng (Star 30th November 1997), that we must implement preventive measures on air pollution now, to prevent smog from forming in the Klang Valley.

As every Klang Valley resident knows, the Klang Valley, surrounded by mountains on 3 sides (forming a natural corridor), is prone to localised haze conditions due to the higher levels of industrialisation and motor-vehicles, atmospheric inversion, and also the tendency of pollutants to be trapped in the mountain corridor, unless dispersed by winds from the Melaka Straits.

According to the Director-General, haze or smog will become a permanent feature in the Klang Valley, possibly as early as 2001 if the present discharge of air pollutants remains unchecked, and (we would like to add) also from uncontrolled development, population, and urbanisation without regard to the road systems and the inherent capacity of the Valley to absorb these changes.

To digress, smog is formed when, with the help of sunlight and heat, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, (a major component), and other hydrocarbon gases, from both local and non-local sources, meet and combine together. These reactions form ground-level ozone, the principal component of smog and acid rain. Acid rain is increasing in the more industrialised parts of Malaysia like Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, and the atmosphere in these places are frequently exhibiting the reddish-brown tinge characteristics of light refraction of sulphur dioxide.

It has been found that gas emissions from motor vehicles constitute 80% of the overall local emissions while industries constitute 20%. Sulphur dioxide is particularly bad in areas where steel processing factories and oil refineries are located. And there are increasing signs of acid rain in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur and other areas of Malaysia.

Preventive measures to check smog are expensive, and are not palatable to industrialists as, in the short-term, they increase costs and might not make Malaysian products competitive. But the consequences of ignoring the effects of smog far exceed the costs to be incurred in incorporating pollution control devices and measures. It is better to do it now than to wait until Kuala Lumpur becomes another Los Angeles, Mexico, or (closer to home), Bangkok, where the air pollution mess is too complicated to be effectively solved.

Basically, what needs to be done now is to adopt the recommendations of the Clean Air Action Plan, and implement the Integrated Public Transport Policy. Since motor-vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution, there is a need for stricter enforcement of smoke emissions standards. The phasing out of inefficient 2 stroke motorcycle engines and the reduction of sulphur content in petrol are good strategies to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions and formation of acid-rain. For better engine maintenance, enforced inspection programs for private vehicles are a welcome requirement.

To encourage better use of public transport, buses and subways should be increased, and incentives introduced, like affordable prices, reliability, and clean coaches. There should be tax incentives provided to vehicle owners for the use of environmentally friendly engines and fuels, and the use of private vehicles in congested city centers be phased out by the use of disincentives like higher parking charges.

The DOE, like all government departments, need adequate budgets to implement their strategies and plans. With the budget reduced to RM142m. compared to RM265.4m. in 1996, implementation of plans and strategies for pollution reduction will not be possible, and it looks like locally induced haze or smog in 1998 is going to be worse than 1997.

Preventive measures are absolutely necessary because air pollution affects the health of people, which entails massive socio-economic and medical costs. Costs will increase in direct proportion to the delay.

Dato' Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor
(This article was published in the STAR's Letter to the editor column)