IPOH: A total of 700 open burning cases involving vegetation have been recorded in Perak from January to March 2026.
Perak housing and local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching said the current hot and dry spell has further increased the risk of open burning incidents in the state.
She said that based on information from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), several districts, including Hulu Perak, Kinta and Kuala Kangsar, are currently at Level 1 (alert), with daily maximum temperatures reaching between 35°C and 37°C.
"In addition to bush and grass fires, the Perak Fire and Rescue Department reported 157 cases of garbage fires."
"Meanwhile, there were 53 bush fire cases, while plantation or farm fires accounted for 47 cases," she said at a press conference after the closing ceremony of a public awareness programme in conjunction with the department's Madani Rakyat programme here on Sunday (March 29).
Ng stressed that the public should refrain from carrying out open burning under any circumstances as it is not only against the law but can also cause fires to spread rapidly, especially during hot and dry conditions.
In another development, she said the implementation of stricter penalties for littering offences in public places, including fines of up to RM2,000 and community service orders ranging from four to 12 hours, is being finalised in Perak.
"In principle, the state government agrees with the implementation. We have about six months to coordinate and finalise the enforcement mechanism before it can be fully implemented," she said.
Meanwhile, Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Sayani Saidon said they were maintaining an 80% readiness level, with personnel on standby at all times to face fire risks due to the current hot weather.
She said between 950 and 1,000 firefighters are on standby even during festive seasons, with a scheduled leave system in place to ensure operations are not affected.
"At any given time, about 80% of personnel are ready to be deployed to handle any situation, including garbage fires, forest fires and others," she said.
Sayani added that the department is also strengthening preparedness by adding new fire engines, conducting regular inspections of fire hydrants, and carrying out patrols in identified fire hotspot areas. – Bernama
