As the haze continues its grip on Brunei Darussalam, the public’s concerns from the last week or so has mounted, resulting in the authorities taking action as the Air Quality Indexed progressively worsened.
Coincidentally, from our office window in the capital, the view of Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah in Kiarong served as the barometer for the team at The New Brunei Digest and we saw in real time today the effects with our own eyes.
As the day progressed, the view of the largest masjid in Brunei Darussalam, began to be obscured by the growing thickness of the smog. By lunchtime the looking upon one of Brunei’s most treasured landmarks gave of a very ominous and surreal vibe.
Going back to when the haze first started to come about this year due to forest fires in the region, the thin layer of smoke had already made its mark, with more members of the public visiting the clinic. Headaches, sinus and respiratory related symptoms, eczema cases, all sounds trivial on paper until folks started to realise that the Air Pollution Index (API) was still showing green for the most part.
The API Index reads green up to 50, where the air quality is considered good, then the next category of moderate is 50 to 100, and once past 100 we enter unhealthy air quality, and at 200 over it is very unhealthy the beginning of the red zone. 300 and above is considered very dangerous.
By then the API had sailed over 200, eye watering for a country that enjoys almost single digit API during some parts of the year.
Almost 30 years ago, Brunei experienced what is presently an unfortunate recurring occurrence for the first time. I was back home for the holidays, my friends who were still studying in Brunei were pleased (somewhat) that they didn’t have to go to school, but like me, we were all disappointed at not being able to go out and see each other, play football.
Back then online gaming was still a long way from what it is today, and there was even less to see and do if you weren’t able to go outdoors. Although I do not recall seeing parts of Brunei resembling scenes from Silent Hill, both the video game and movie, but as I drove to pick up my son and wife today, thats what it seemed like from inside my car.
The haze enveloping the sun, making it redder than a blood moon, and the lush jungle greenery taking on a foreboding tint of embellishment. Online, someone in a friends group chat said it kind of looks like Kundasang in Sabah, but the attack on our senses by the stagnant heat and smoky odour outdoors scream otherwise.
Parents have understandably taken their kids out of school, one teacher I spoke to said that at the start of the week he had told his children to stay home, and was concerned about the welfare of the student body en masse.
My daughters have put on a brave face, especially my second daughter. Exasperated but having to sit her most important exams of her Primary School life, she said she would just mask up and do what needs to be done.
Thankfully since that first week, and especially today, the government agencies that had been monitoring the situation have taken steps to update Brunei with Air quality updates, now throughout the day, and also issued advisories on how to handle the situation as it begins to get worse.
As we returned to our office at lunchtime, we again witnessed strange things from our window, the traffic started to become congested, as thick as the haze enveloping it. Visibility in some places in the country had reduced to 100m. And the traffic, it was a result of parents rushing to schools as students were advised to go home.
The latest advisory from the Ministry of Education in the day highlighted that as the Air Quality readings were still in the red zone, schools have been instructed to switch classes online temporarily for the next two days. While some parents may question why this hasn’t been taken into effect sooner, it has to be said the speed at which the directives have been implemented are commendable.
The diligence shown there by the authorities and government agencies will be required, as the news from Kalimantan has indicated that the amount of acreage that is burning has nearly doubled, and most likely when you, our dear readers have finished reading this, that mark would have clearly passed.
I hope I’m wrong, but it seems like this might just be the start of the worse stretch, and one that we need to pulling through together. During such a time pointing out shortcomings and flaws is one thing, but delivering real pragmatic solutions in developing situations is another, perhaps far more required.