KUCHING: With over 220 fire hotspots detected across Sarawak, fresh calls have been made for a total ban on open burning of agricultural waste to curb worsening wildfires and environmental damage.
Senator Abun Sui Anyit, who is also Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief, said the deliberate use of fire especially on plantations clearing large volumes of waste continues to be a major contributor to uncontrolled blazes across the state.
“The state must impose a total ban on using fire to burn off big bulks of agriculture wastes, as the wildfire cases have been causing so much environmental damage already throughout this state,” he said in a statement.
He cited the massive fire in Mukah as a stark example of how such practices spiral out of control.
“The Mukah fire is so big. It is just one case of so many such cases over the years of wildfires that always burn out of control.
“The state authorities must penalise those who use fire as a method to clear wastes. Sarawak is already seeing serious damages to its ecosystem, and it is getting worse year by year.”
His remarks come as the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee confirmed at least 220 hotspots across the state — with the largest cluster in Mukah.
Committee chairman and Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said firefighting teams remain on the ground, but dry weather and underground peat fires continue to pose serious challenges.
“We recorded 220 hotspots, with the biggest in Mukah.
“There was some rain over Mukah and it has helped to reduce the haze.
“Fire teams are still on the ground trying to douse the fires. We are worried as the fires are burning underground in peatland. Past experience showed that peat fires can even burn over 100 acres.”
Uggah said the state is prepared to conduct cloud seeding to induce rain — but weather conditions remain unfavourable.
“At present, much of the state is too hot and dry for cloud seeding operations,” he said.
