Rodi

Yes I know expats are not supposed to bitch or get involved with local politics. Perhaps they should since nobody gives a rat's butt about suffocating 29 million citizens to death every year for a lifetime.

How do you all live in this shroud of haze with air that smells like an out of control forest fire for like eight weeks straight ????

Thankfully we arrived in July because in Penang the air is ridiculous and I'm about ready to cancel my lease, pack it up and go back home. This is not China and the burning is not even emanating from this country. The governments are obviously blowing smoke (ha, pardon the pun) with their one pathetic article every year about controlling illegal burns that would never ever be acceptable in any North American or Western European nation. Allowing this to go on for everyone's lifetime is not as bad as the ridiculous complacent attitude of people living in a supposedly free and democratic nation

The citizens need to march on the the capital in droves, block traffic, skip work, and do everything short of violence to make someone understand this is unacceptable. Thinking that they're heading for "developed status" while choking their citizens for weeks straight every year may be the biggest political pipe dream ever constructed by a government.

I respect Malaysian culture and understand they are uncomfortable with anger but there comes a time to open their collective mouths and really speak out since expats are guests and have no say. But I think many will wind up as short term guests once they see the extent of the insanity they simply refer to as "the haze" like it was as routine as a thundershower.

Ok, that's my rant and sorry to vent but l guess I didn't do enough research or hoped it wouldn't be this bad because locking myself in the air conditioning for 8 weeks a year is not why I chose Malaysia. I am relatively fit and my lungs are begging for clean air: I can't exercise properly and my contact lenses burn daily since this started a week ago.

Feel free to thoroughly disagree and tell me to go home or maybe offer some insights I don't know about ?

bakedbean

There's already a topic on this subject a few threads below this one. Feel free to join in on that one. I started that topic a year ago.

InVinoVeritas

Air quality in Malaysia and Penang in particular has been discussed in numerous threads on this forum, just use the forum search facility for this and other subjects which are important to you.

I was certainly well aware of it before moving here. It's not going to go away and it's a problem in some other Asian countries too so you would probably have to change continent to get away from it. I was impressed by the air quality in Panama (outside of PC itself) but I think it's not favoured by Americans at the moment. Maybe Malta or Cyprus?

bakedbean

Anyway......what a fabulous day today. The air has cleared. There was a glorious sunrise this morning. Were you up to see the sunrise?? But I think you are over the sunset side of the island.

Tell you to go home? Well, that is a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, and maybe you're still a wee bit jetlagged, which wouldn't be at all surprising.

Have to tell you that no place is perfect. There is no Utopia. You just have to work out what are the best options for You...and we are all different.

You've taken a lease. Your household effects are on their way. My suggestion would be to try out Penang for a year (if you have a year's rental) and take your time and see if you like it or not. If you don't like it, start looking at other places in Malaysia and see if you can find your "home", or move on to another country. We did that....started out in Thailand for retirement...didn't work for us. Penang works for us.

Yeh the Haze is a pain but it doesn't last. And you have (in my opinion) the best of Penang weather to come. Usually big monsoon rains in September...dramatic storms...love them...unless of course El Nino affects the weather pattern. And then we have some "cooler" and less humid days in November, December, January...nice days to enjoy being outside.

But...it's up to you, Rodi

Rodi

Thanks for the reality check. Yes I'm very thankful it's cleared for now but not optimistic that it won't come back worse soon. Think I needed a place to blow off steam because the weather is one thing but I don't consider the haze as part of weather. It's a man made invasion of health for millions of people and as since I am fit and do a good amount of cardio, I was really feeling the strain in my lungs. Staying indoors is not my idea of retirement

Yes I understand that most of Asia lives with air pollution but I suppose my principals and background force me to express frustration with the complacency. If nobody in democracies ever opens their mouths and exercises their rights as free citizens then nothing ever changes. I fully understand the politics and know that Indonesia will never stop burning their land and politicians never deliver on promises. But the USA was also a choking mess of haze once yet citizens forced their government to enact legislation that benefits the citizens, not the few elite companies that make billions. That is my point

Having said that, its up to the citizens on this side of earth to take action and not the expats so we will live with it or find another country. That doesn't make it any less ridiculous however

InVinoVeritas

Actually there is one thing you can do Rodi, which is to stop buying any products which show palm oil in their list of ingredients and encourage others to do likewise.

85% of global palm oil supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Rodi

You are correct in principle. Sadly, even if I started a Facebook page and anything else that works and got several thousand US consumers to boycott labels with palm oil this would do nothing to alleviate the problem at hand which is here in Malaysia. Palm oil is among the world's most wanted products and is found in dozens of consumer products besides food. Production is not slowing down as long as industry demands it

InVinoVeritas

But you have to start somewhere and on this issue it's the only "vote" you have. And it's not just Americans who might join you. The West has cleaned up its air largely by moving its dirtiest industries to Asia. The consumer's conscience needs to be pricked by someone who is passionate about this issue.

Rodi

Well even though I don't disagree I don't think I'm going to stay in Malaysia after our first year

We live on a hill in Batu Ferrenghi which kicks up strong winds and today is like literally being a fireman in the middle of a chemical plant or rubber factory fire. This is completely and totally unacceptable and people are insane to accept this. There was one beatiful day after the rain and it came back ten times worse

The air index is over 100 in Penang today making it in the unhealthy range and yet like magic as on as you cross the border and check Southern Thailand it's perfect. Phuket's number is 11 today and it's only a few hindered miles north. How can that be?

Think I made a judgement error. As I've said, breathing smog from General air pollution like in China is bad enough but not as harmful as ash and chemical particles mixed with hot wind when it's totally manageable with governmental cooperation and legislation. What a shame when so many other things are so good

bakedbean

I used to live in Phuket. At this time of the year you get a lot of wind direction from the south west (south west monsoon).

Take a look at a map to the southwest. From Penang you will see Sumatra in the way. From Phuket there is nothing. So Phuket gets pretty fierce winds and rain compared to Penang and lots and lots of power cuts and floods. Very nice weather in the winter though (just like here).

JC3

The root cause is patronage politics….There's plenty of legislation and 'governmental cooperation' already....I strongly doubt a cure anytime soon.

See:

Political patronage will protect the trans-border haze pollutants - S.Ramakrishnan - The Malaysian Insider

And from The Economist this week:

Hazing rituals | The Economist

JC3

Rodi

Excellent read that explains it plain as day. And further reiterates how all of SE Asia will remain thIrd world nations well I to the 22nd century, especially as Euroeans and North Americans sit innocently by and consume billions of dollars worth of palm oil while enjoying air quality that is breathable on a daily basis.

All I can say is that if Canada had palm oil and continuously poisoned the USA every year it would stop faster than you can say "covert action to blow the perpetrators off the face of the earth" And believe me I don't often support the shit that empire America pulls

InVinoVeritas

I see AirAsia cancelled flights out of KL and Penang today due to the haze bringing visibility below minimum levels.

Davita

The nearest part of Indonesia to Penang is Aceh which is famous for marijuana.
I watched Indonesian TV recently where the police confiscated tons of the stuff and set it on fire...the local villagers were stoned for a week.
Maybe that's what you guys in Penang are inhaling...enjoy...!

JC3

Ha ha Davita
High from Penang !

JC3