Most Malaysians in haze-hit Riau brought home

Malaysian students line up as the leave the Malaysian consulate during an evacuation in Pekanbaru, Riau province, Indonesia. - EPA.

PETALING JAYA: Most of the Malaysians caught in the haze in Indonesia’s Riau province have been evacuated, said National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab.

Last Friday, the council evacuated 225 Malaysians by air from Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau on the island of Sumatra.

Thajudeen said no further flights were being planned.

“For Pekanbaru, there’s no further evacuation since we have evacuated almost all our students including family members of staff of the Malaysian Consulate," he said adding the few Malaysian students remaining in Pekanbaru refused to be evacuated.

The Indonesian government declared a pollution emergency in the province after the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading hit 1,000 on Sept. 14.

Thajudeen said that since Saturday, the haze situation in Pekanbaru improved with the National Standard Air Pollutant Index (ISPU) ranging between 170 and 190, below the danger level of 300.

He said the area in Indonesia with the worst air quality reading at present is Palangkaraya in central Kalimantan, which recorded an ISPU reading of 1,482.05 as at 8am Monday.

He said there were some 300 to 400 Malaysians, mostly students, residing in Riau province as well as the Riau islands.

He advised Malaysians in Sumatra to register with the Consulate.

“It would ensure that we can provide the necessary assistance or advice during this period of time.”