Kota bharu: It is time for enforcement measures, including compounds and legal action, to be intensified to curb the increasingly serious issue of open burning in Kelantan, says the state's Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director, Farhan Sufyan Borhan. He emphasized that awareness campaigns alone were no longer sufficient, as open burning cases continued to occur despite various efforts implemented previously.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Farhan Sufyan Borhan has proposed to certain agencies that instead of merely conducting awareness campaigns, they should also take enforcement action. He suggested that warnings, compounds, or fines should be imposed on individuals carrying out open burning to serve as a lesson to others. Last year, Kelantan JBPM, together with the Department of Environment (DOE), carried out various awareness campaigns on the dangers of open burning, but such acts continued nonetheless.

Based on the department's observations, most open burning activities were carried out deliberately for land clearing and agricultural land preparation during the dry season. With the current dry season, some are taking advantage because the cost of open burning is cheaper compared to using other clearing methods. Farhan Sufyan noted that the DOE and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had opened several investigation papers related to open burning cases in the state.

Although JBPM does not have specific legal provisions to take action against open burning, existing laws under the DOE, local authorities, and PDRM are considered sufficient for enforcement purposes. Farhan Sufyan emphasized the importance of awareness that legal action can be taken against those carrying out open burning. He also reminded the public not to carry out uncontrolled open burning, as such actions could cause fires to spread to other areas, affecting the environment and public safety.

Recently, BERNAMA reported that the sharp increase in open burning cases in Kelantan since early March had caused the state JBPM's operational costs to surge, including diesel usage reaching RM217,000 last month. Farhan Sufyan stated that JBPM's fuel usage was typically estimated at between RM45,000 and RM60,000 a month, but had risen significantly due to increasingly frequent open burning firefighting operations throughout the current dry season.

In April alone, JBPM Kelantan received more than 2,000 calls involving open burning, compared with only 199 calls recorded throughout last year. Of the total, bushfires recorded the highest number at 1,575 cases, followed by forest fires (238), rubbish fires (99), and plantation fires (37). Among the worst-affected districts were Kota Bharu with 522 cases, followed by Bachok (357) and Pasir Mas (252).