By Amanda L
KUCHING, Aug 25: Authorities should assess actual weather and haze conditions before cancelling community events rather than making blanket decisions that could undermine weeks of preparation, says Asajaya assemblyman Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Speaking at the Maulidur Rasul 1448H/2026M celebration programme at Kampung Tambirat today, he said authorities should consider factors such as wind direction and weather forecasts before deciding whether an event could proceed.
He was referring to the cancellation of the state-level Maulidur Rasul procession, with the celebration in Sarikei instead held indoors at Dewan Sentral Sarikei due to haze and hot weather.
“I understand that the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has set certain conditions and the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebration was cancelled because of the haze.
“But sometimes, before making a decision, we should also look at the wind direction. Today, how is the wind? Tomorrow, how will it be?
“Nowadays, with technology, we can know when it will rain, when the wind will come and from where it is coming,” he said.
He said such considerations were important as community organisations often spent weeks preparing for major events.
“When something is cancelled, it is cancelled again and again, we have to think about the committees that have been preparing for weeks,” he stressed.
Abdul Karim, who is also Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, said the decision should also take into account the actual Air Pollution Index (API), noting that school closures and emergency measures were generally considered when API readings reached 200.
“If the weather is still good, just continue. We have certain limits to consider,” he said. — DayakDaily
