GEORGE TOWN – Fire investigators have detected serial arsonists taking advantage of the lockdown under the movement control order (MCO) to set alight forested areas and bushes, especially in the sprawling Chinese cemetery grounds on Penang island.
Under the pretext of land clearing and burning litter, arsonists have caused widespread nuisance, including thick smoke pollution, to residents in the vicinities of cemeteries at Batu Lanchang, Mount Erskine and Tg Bungah on Thursday.
Aided by strong winds and dry weather, the fires came dangerously close to houses in Mount Erskine and Tg Bungah.
They have also burdened firemen who have to hours trying to extinguish them, said state fire and rescue department director Saadon Mokhtar.
Conveying his frustration to The Vibes, Saadon said that firemen are bogged down as there are limited resources to battle the fires. He said the fires flare up again if winds blow through the affected areas.
There are no hydrants in the areas and a water pump had malfunctioned when firefighters were trying to douse one fire, while one water hose could not be stretched far into the forest.
In Tg Bungah near Chee Seng Gardens, firemen took six hours to douse the flames.
It is likely to take the firefighters another six hours to put out the blaze at the Batu Lanchang cemetery now, said Saadon.
“They are intentional, such fires. The culprits are arsonists who are out to cause mischief. Some do it as it is their job to clear the land, but with an MCO in effect, they should be confined to their homes,” he said.
The culprits are also roaming freely because authorities such as the police and other enforcement agencies are preoccupied with duties related to the MCO, Saadon said.
A 7.3ha land went up in smoke in Tg Bungah, and another 0.4ha has been razed in Batu Lanchang.
Saadon plans to meet with the Environment Department (DoE) on the open burning cases, which have increased dramatically during the pandemic.
Open burning falls under DoE jurisdiction.
In 2019, the fire department reported 521 open burning cases, up from 367 cases in 2018.
But, there are hundreds that go unreported nowadays, Saadon said.
Early this month, another big fire hit Paya Terubong and the Penang Hill range.
Saadon said that the arsonists have yet to be nabbed, but he called on the public to notify the police if they come across suspicious characters roaming around forest or open areas here.
“There is this urge to cause mischief during the present lockdown,” he said.
“It would be ironic if the people battling the blaze contract the virus,” he said, urging the public to be considerate and practise “kita jaga kita” (we take care of each other). – The Vibes, February 6, 2021
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