Penang is closely watching haze conditions ahead of its state-level National Day parade on 31 August, with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow warning the outdoor event may be called off if air quality deteriorates further.
Chow said the state government had not ruled out cancelling the celebration at Padang Kota Lama if the Air Pollution Index reaches 200 and above, a threshold classified as very unhealthy.
“If the API reading reaches 200 and above, it may be better not to proceed. However, there are still a few more days left and we will monitor the situation closely,” he told reporters in George Town, as reported by Pocket News.
Chow said relocating the parade to an indoor venue was not a straightforward option, noting that even a stadium setting would still expose attendees to outdoor conditions.
State health executive councillor Daniel Gooi said Penang had not recorded a spike in respiratory-related cases linked to the haze so far, with the Penang State Health Department confirming the situation remained under control.
Gooi advised the public to limit outdoor activities, wear face masks when appropriate and seek medical treatment if respiratory symptoms develop.
At the federal level, the Cabinet has tasked Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar with determining whether the scale or venue of the national celebration at Dataran Putrajaya should change.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet was briefed by the Malaysian Meteorological Department on the haze affecting several parts of the country, including Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak.
“The Cabinet has therefore tasked the Chief Secretary with consulting all relevant agencies and the Communications Ministry, which is responsible for organising the National Day celebration, to determine whether to change its scale or venue, or proceed at the existing venue,” Bernama quoted Fahmi as saying.
Fahmi said options included scaling down the celebration or moving it indoors, but the government had no plans to cancel the 31 August event entirely.
He said the decision would also consider input from the Health and Education ministries, as the celebration involves about 1,500 secondary school students from three states taking part in a human graphic formation.
The government has not set a specific API threshold that would automatically trigger changes to the celebration, with a decision to follow assessments by the relevant agencies.
The National Day eve celebration at Dataran Merdeka on 30 August will also be reviewed amid the haze.
As of 10 am on 24 August, 10 areas across four states had registered API readings in the unhealthy range, with Serian in Sarawak posting the highest figure near the very unhealthy threshold.
