BATU KAWAN: Senior scouts in a “war room” are keeping watch on haze and weather readings, while more than 6,000 scouts from around the world gather here for a seven-day event.
They monitor the Air Pollutant Index (API) hourly to ensure the safety of participants at the 15th Malaysian Scouts Jamboree.
Penang chief scout commissioner Datuk Zulkafli Kamaruddin said the haze war room provided real-time updates.
“We have been planning this programme for two years and did not expect the haze.
“We became aware of the haze situation and have been preparing for the past month to handle it.
“We work with all the relevant government agencies to ensure we have up-to-date information.
“We have had our own operations room for a week now,” he said at Penang State Stadium here yesterday.
As of 4pm, API readings were 75 in Balik Pulau, 158 in George Town, 156 in Seberang Perai and 157 in Seberang Jaya.
Zulkafli said the war room had multiple screens showing weather updates from government agencies.
“The readings today have been high, and if they continue to be high in the coming days, we have a contingency plan to move the participants to six schools.
“If weather conditions do not permit outdoor activities and the API remains high, we will move them and ensure there are indoor activities for them,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the event.
The jamboree, themed “Tracing the Legacy, Shaping the Future” with the sub-theme “60 Years of Uniting the Spirit of Scouting”, brings together 6,178 scouts and volunteers from Malaysia and 11 other countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, South Korea and Singapore.
