At attention: Siti Rohani checking on the parade during the Johor Fire and Rescue Department yearly assembly at the department headquarters in Kangkar Tebrau. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: The number of open burning incidents in the state, especially in hotspots, is escalating and the authorities are attributing this to a lack of public awareness.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Siti Rohani Nadir said that one of the main factors contributing to the prevalence of open burning cases in the state is the desire to cut costs.
“Landowners opt for the cheapest and fastest method to clear their land, resorting to setting fire to the grass. Unfortunately, only when the situation spirals out of control do they seek our assistance.
“Our approach to raising awareness is proactive and hands-on. We visit each landowner and provide guidance on preventive measures that can be taken to avoid open burning,” Siti Rohani said.
She said this to reporters after the Johor Fire and Rescue Department yearly assembly at the department’s headquarters in Kangkar Tebrau here yesterday.
She added that last year, the department recorded 1,967 open burning cases and 82 peatland fires. This saw an increase from 2022, with 1,609 open burning cases and 34 peatland fires.
“The highest number of cases was from Johor Baru, with 649 reported last year.
“For this year, from January until Feb 6 (yesterday), we received 18 reports of open burning cases; we expect this figure to increase as we are currently in the monsoon season transition period.
“However, at the same time, we still need to prepare for any flood cases,” she added.
“Johor was hit with floods in early March last year, so we need to prepare to face these two scenarios,” she said.
Siti Rohani also said the department has deployed its personnel to conduct daily surveillance of hotspot peatland areas in seven districts, namely Batu Pahat, Muar, Mersing, Pontian, Johor Baru, Kluang and Kota Tinggi.
“These are the districts that have large peatland areas; peatland fires are some of the huge challenges that the department has to face.
“It usually takes more than 12 hours to put out the fire, depending on the severity of the situation.
“The last time we experienced such an incident was in October last year in Punggai, where the firefighting operations lasted more than a week.
During the assembly, Siti Rohani also handed out certificates of appreciation to nine members of the public, five government agencies and 17 media practitioners during the event.
Among them was 50-year-old Choo Ngiam Choong, who became known for courageously jumping into a drain, to rescue a stranger carried away by the current during the flood in Kota Tinggi last month.
“My sole intention was to assist the victim. I hope this is something we Malaysians can do whenever we see people in need.
“I wasn’t alone at the time; I had my friends with me. We used to swim in murky rivers during our childhood, so I knew they had my back in case something happened,” he said.
Skudai Fire and Rescue Department senior officer Suriani Adnan, 42, who rescued a teenager from drowning at the Punggai beach in December last year, also received the certificate.
“In the incident, the 19-year-old brother had tried to rescue his 12-year-old sister, who was swept away by the strong current.
“Both of them were swept away about 100m from the shore. The girl was rescued by members of the public while I managed to rescue her brother,” she said.
