KUCHING: Public health will take precedence over outdoor activities if worsening haze conditions make them unsafe, with Kuching South City Council (MBKS) ready to follow any directive issued by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said MBKS would not make a separate ruling on whether events such as the upcoming Mayor’s Walk should proceed, stressing the need for a uniform decision from the state-level authority handling the haze situation.
“The authority handling the haze is SDMC, so we, as city council, will wait for the instruction,” he told reporters during a visit to Tabuan Jaya Health Clinic here on Thursday (Aug13).
Wee said a coordinated directive was necessary to prevent confusion among local authorities and the public.
“If there is an instruction from the government through SDMC, everybody should follow. Otherwise, one council says this, another council says that, and the district council makes another ruling, who do you follow?” he added.
He reiterated that while registration for the Mayor’s Walk had received an encouraging response, the event could be put on hold if weather or haze conditions posed a risk to public health.
“When the weather does not allow it, when the haze does not allow it, I think public health should be the priority. We can walk anytime,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wee said MBKS had started distributing face masks donated by members of the public, including to patients and healthcare workers at Klinik Kesihatan Tabuan Jaya.
The council also plans to distribute masks to schools, particularly for children, as part of efforts to help the community cope with the haze.
“All these face masks have been donated by the public. This is what we can see when the public have that sense of belonging and understand how other people feel – everybody helps each other,” he added.
Wee also called on residents to avoid activities that could contribute to worsening air quality, particularly open burning.
With the seventh lunar month now underway, he urged communities to adapt traditional and religious practices to the prevailing haze conditions.
He cited prayers held the previous night, where food offerings were made without any burning activities.
“Under a situation like this, when there is an instruction, then we have to follow. I believe leaders should set a good example first,” he said.
Wee stressed that reducing sources of smoke required collective responsibility, urging the public to play their part in keeping the haze from worsening.
“If everybody follows, then we might be able to reduce the haze. Play your part, do your role,” he added.
