Wednesday 5 August 2009

Mo-de-rate???

2 weeks ago, I went and played football in an open field and fell sick on Tuesday. Since then, I have been hearing stories about friends who are falling sick after jogging or any other physical activities in open air.

I believe it’s the haze.

It’s very bad today. While on my way to work, I could not even see the Twin Tower and on the way home, I could not see the greeneries behind my house. When I wind down my window to pay toll, there is a stale smell of smoke. It is bad!!!!!

And hence, I check out the Air Pollutant Index (“API”) based on our very own Malaysian Department of Environment. Ya’ know, it’s the department who said “…
hazy but it doesn’t mean the haze is back…” Yes, “that” department.

According to them, the
API is moderate! The second column indicates index taken at 5pm and it showed mo-de-rate.

Really?
Only mo-de-rate?
Reallllllllly?

I don’t know about you but I can't bring myself to believe that the API disclosed there is true. While there may not be much that we can do, I think to the very least, we deserve the truth.

I still remember in the late 90s when the haze was really bad and there was a time where the API was “very unhealthy” and we were told that we should only worry when API hits “hazardous”. Lo and behold, it did hit hazardous and I clearly remember that a statement was issued saying something like… “hazardous doesn’t mean it’s dangerous”… something like that.

I guess that is why things are best maintained as mo-de-rate.

Fucked up country. But of course, it doesn’t matter because you can still enjoy the best nasi-lemak, bak-kut-teh and char-kuey-teow. Yay!


1 year ago…
Between myth and truthIt’s not about blogs or blogging

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

suituapui:
...and Sibu was listed as the worst in the whole country! It wasn't too bad here, a bit of haze and the smoke stench was in the air but visibility was quite good and it wasn't really hot unlike some stuffy humid days, quite windy actually.

As for the football & falling sick, maybe you over-exerted yourself? Remember - mo-de-rate!

Jools said...

Used to pray for no rain ... now pray for rain already. I rather get stuck in the jam than to get sick from the haze, and with the h1n1 deaths increasing and whatnot...

le sigh...

vegemaster said...

I'm currently doing my internship in KL and seriously, the damn haze is screwed up. It made me sick and i had a sore throat and headache soon after.

But there's still the nasi lemak and bah kut teh. so wheeee~~~

Theodwyn said...

Pardon my language.... but my opinions is f*ck the nasi lemak and bak kut teh. If you're a good cook you can make bak kut teh and nasi lemak in your own home anywhere in the world.

Many of us who have left the country do wish we could have stayed. But good food wasn't enough to make us stay. The lack of jobs, lack of equality and most importantly, lack of honesty justifiability from the government drove us away.

If your job interest is in a sector which have plenty of job opportunities in Malaysia, consider yourself lucky. A lot of people are either forced to work in a field they have no interest in, or to leave the country in order to have a career which fits their interest.

But this is just speaking for myself off course.. I have no doubt I'll get accused of loving my tanah air enough, and off course, of also not being loyal to the bak kut teh and char koay teow...

Theodwyn said...

correction, I meant "of NOT loving my tanahair enough"

Anonymous said...

This morning the sky was covered with thick haze and just before it rained mid morning, acrid smell of smoke filled the office.

I hope the weather clears up soon. Miss the clear blue skies with white puffy clouds.

leyaw said...

Fortunately, I was on the Karak highway in the morning. Weather was really great. It was drizzling and there was heavy fog covering the mountains top, a wonderful sight on a beautiful morning. I even switch off the air-cond and wind down the windows to enjoy the cool breeze :p

Xabi said...

HAHAHA! you always remind us about the best nasi lemak, char kuey tiao and bak kut teh after such a post! =)

TG said...

I think they made a mistake, it should be "Technical Problem", hehe.

And yes, best nasi lemak and chicken rice in the region (Hainanese chicken rice I must add). And best laksa and wan tan me and roti canai and yea: Basically the best food in the world!

You know why? The government made the food so yummy, so that they keep you inside, hehe XD If not, everyone would left liao :P

Anonymous said...

wait u dunno abt the forest fire ?

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/446958/1/.html

i still remember the news abt the neighbourhood countries fork out dunno how many millions to guard against this stupid burning of forest. i mean wat the fark r they doing?

PahNur said...

I woke up one morning thinking I had developed premature cataract. Turned out, it was the haze. Funny how this year, there are less hoo haas regarding haze, as though we Malaysians have accepted haze as another season. So now there's musim kemarau, musim tengkujuh, musim pilihanraya, musim jerebu and so forth. Who knows, if things get worse, we may come up with sports like jerebu surfing or something like that.
I kept telling my patients when they ask about their lungs, worried about H1N1,"your lungs are definitely more clear than the environment", or perhaps greet an expat "welcome to malaysia, where the air is as transparent as our government"....they laugh, but I bleed inside...

Swee Ping said...

Wooo..... you sound angry, Zewt. Are you okay?

I trust my eyes and nose more than the site. I believe if other countries, they might already issue health concern memo? In Japan, flu and cough are taken seriously. In Malaysia, "aiya small matter la still can work" or else Boss will ........

iamthewitch said...

The haze is really bad. I was looking out of my window and only saw barely 100m away into the white fog. Sigh. And I'm starting to develop cough. Crap.

SFGEMS said...

Year in and year out, it's the same story. I believe my nose and my throat and no DOE is going to tell me otherwise!!!

day-dreamer said...

It's terrible over here in Kampar. The mountains have literally disappeared! I regret for not having my camera with me to take the "Before & After Rain" pictures to show the contrast. Haha.

Crankster said...

Moderate, my ass! That's high danger haze we're looking out the window at.

Anonymous said...

It's so not moderate! I had flu and sore throat two days ago, I freaked out thinking that I have H1N1, as a relative had the same symptoms with fever! I didn't visit the clinic though, as i did not have fever...so it's the haze!!!

MDE's a liar!!!

littlepolaris said...

dat's why i sit here at home whole day lor. I thot my nose something wrong bcos I'm allergic to dust, smoke... + anything dat is related to the word dirty.

CK said...

wat's new? nothing mah....
they go on business like usual. moderate instead of the truth.
just like the public exam result every year. passing rate keeps getting higher and higher but why employers keep getting low std applicants?

like u said... it's fucked up country.

Petite Lass said...

Take care Zewt!
I know you have quite a number of awards already but I still think you deserve to be awarded, please collect your award from my blog.

gina said...

Been coughing for the past one month already.. the haze isn't helping.. and the DOE say what? It's not haze? it's just hazy? LOL

jam said...

Oh ya you are complaining... My pathetic town is having the highest API in this entire even more pathetic country!

zewt said...

Suituapui - smokers shouldnt complain! :P

Jools - ahh... as long as you are not going to complain about traffic jam... rain is always a good thing.

vegemaster - yes yes... wheeee!!!

Theodwyn - i know what you mean. but then again, many malaysians take up subjects that are not of their interest to begin with. we are just not born in a country we can realise our real dreams... sigh.

Mei Teng - it has been such a long time since we see a clear blue sky, isnt it?

leyaw - but you wont be driving along karak all the time right? :P

xabi - it's a drug that numbs the whole brain.

zewt said...

MKL - hahahaha... best food in the world? i think italy is pretty good too. not sure, but i quite like italian good.

anon @ 6/8 7.57am - yeah, i know. and i also know that it was set off on purpose.

PahNur - hahahaha... that is a killer of a line! as transparent as the air. certain days clear... certain days... absolutely bleak.

Swee Ping - angry is something we have all turned numb too... sigh.

iamthewitch - i am sure you are not alone. see a doc soon.

Estrelita - DOE... doe a deer, a female deer...

day-dreamer - you should... you should.

zewt said...

Crankster - calm down... go knock yourself out with some nasi lemak :P

Lifong - wow... better be safe than sorry, H1N1 is not to be dealt with lightly in the light of all the death. take care...

littlepolaris - moscow is a place you miss now isnt it?

CK - yeah... all may be within failing marks compared to the past grading standards and they are all now... distinctions.

Petite Lass - hey.... many thanks, will be sure to collect it. this friday perhaps.

gina - all hail the DOE.

jam - hahahahaha... maybe that one is trustworthy... :P

Purple~MushRooM said...

Come see Beijing...

zewt said...

purple mushroom - is it really that bad? i was hoping for it to be rather clean... sigh.