Weapons Of Mass Distruption

Call me an unwilling secondhand smoker; smokers who like to blow the choking fumes at people finally get a taste of their evil deeds; walk into the open, and you'll know what I mean.

Who needs to develop high-tech weapons when they can just burn the forest and let nature do its job... I opened the door to the outside and almost choke to death at the first breath.

Antrax? Nuclear? Bio-tech? how about plain old CO2? if the wind direction is just right, just find a big bush and create lots of smokes by burning them.

And if your friendly neighbours offer their help to put the fire out, you deny them. Sigh...

In some countries (and we KNOW who they are), they go to war by mere speculations. With so many children in clinics and more homebound, should we declare war on the guys who burn the forest?

Of course those people will tell you, it's nature's fault. But this weapon of mass disruption had affected our Malaysian way of life: Mamak, Stroll by the beach, enjoy the clear view of KLCC...

so... is this an act of terror? do we need a monkey to tell us this?

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Sure enough, the following was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Acting Director of National Operations Centre:

In view of the current haze situation in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang that has now reached the API level of 500 and above, I now declare a state of emergency for the whole area of Kuala Selangor and Port Klang with immediate effect indefinitely.

The haze emergency declaration will not involve the enforcement of curfew nor a change in the current Selangor administration.

However, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Armed Forces are required to arrange and take measures to guarantee continued peace and security.

A guideline on the actions to be taken under the emergency is outlined in Appendix A. All parties are required to carry out their respective duties and responsibilities based on the guideline.

The guideline reads:

When the Haze Emergency has been declared, the State Management and Disaster Committee must take the following actions:

a) Issue an order for the closure of all government and private offices and other work places including factories, plantations, construction and quarries.
The closure order does not apply to:
i) shops that sell food stuff, drinks, markets and supermarkets;
ii) clinics, pharmacies and medicine shops; and
iii) essential services
b) Ensure that earthwork and earth movement are stopped
c) Advise the reduction of the use of private vehicles
d) Ensure the closure of all schools
e) Ensure the frequent dissemination of information of the pollution index to print and electronic media
f) Get the media to advise the public to remain at home and steps that needed to be taken by the people
g) Information Ministry must ensure that information are disseminate directly
h) Ensure strict enforcement against open burning
i) Ensure that this emergency declaration does not include declaration of curfew (except for certain situations as provided for under the appropriate laws.