17/09/2026

THURSDAY | SEPT 17, 2026

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Drop in rainfall predicted as El Nino strengthens

Indonesian man first in M’sia to be jailed for littering JOHOR BAHRU: An Indonesian man has become the first person in Malaysia to receive a jail sentence for discarding a cigarette butt in a public place. Johor Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said the 36-year-old general worker was found to have committed a minor littering offence in the Stulang area last February. He said the man began serving his one-month jail sentence on Aug 28 after failing to pay the RM1,000 fine imposed by the court. “The man will undergo a six-hour Community Service Order (CSO) upon completing his jail sentence,” he said at a press conference after inspecting the implementation of the 50th Series of CSO here on Tuesday. Meanwhile, he said 107 cases resulting in CSOs have been disposed of in court, involving 59 locals and 48 foreign nationals. Zainal Fitri said the cases resulted in total fines of RM71,550, with CSOs ranging between two and 10 hours. He said 3,358 enforcement operations have been carried out in Johor, during which 3,095 Notices of Offence were issued. – Bernama “We also provide the agency’s Mobile Treatment and Rehabilitation Without Borders services to rural areas, helping to overcome logistical barriers often faced by women.” – Bernama Number of female drug abusers rises KOTA BHARU: The number of women detected to be involved in drug abuse in the country has increased from 8,638 in 2024 to 8,926 last year. National Anti-Drug Agency director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said youths aged between 19 and 39 recorded the highest number of cases, involving 6,193 individuals, followed by 2,567 adults aged between 40 and 59, and 166 teenagers. “Amphetamine-type stimulants were the most widely abused substances among women, involving 7,588 individuals, followed by opiates at 762, ganja at 138, psychotropic pills at 119 and other substances, including ketum and cocaine at 319.” He said a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found that women face more complex challenges than men in accessing treatment. “Although statistics show that women accounted for a lower percentage of cases at 4.7% compared with men at 95.3% last year, they often face greater social, financial and emotional challenges in seeking treatment. “Society tends to view addiction among women as a greater moral failure compared with men. “The cost of treatment, such as transportation to the agency’s facilities, can be a heavy burden. UNODC reported that women may struggle to seek treatment if their partners are also drug users who control their movements or prevent them from seeking change.” He added that following amendments to the Drug Dependants and Substance Abusers (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983, which came into force on Aug 22, 2025, women can now voluntarily seek community-based treatment under the supervision of rehabilitation officers or at Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres free of charge.

he made on Bernama Radio’s Fokus 30 podcast on Sept 10, when he said parts of Malaysia could see temperatures above 40°C next year if the phenomenon strengthens as forecast. He emphasised that temperatures could potentially surpass the national record of 40.1°C in Chuping, Perlis during the 1997-1998 Super El Nino, and reach 40.5°C or even 41°C in some places. On the possibility of encountering 40°C heat, Mohd Hisham said such readings could not be ruled out if the current El Nino reaches very strong levels. However, he said they would more likely be localised, not nationwide. “However, under a strong El Nino, higher temperatures and hotter-than-usual conditions could happen more widely in Malaysia,” he noted. Mohd Hisham said Malaysia’s highest temprature of 40.1°C in Chuping on April 9, 1998 and its second highest reading of 39.3°C at Batu Embun in Jerantut, Pahang on April 10, 2016 were both recorded during Super El Nino episodes. He said apart from heat, prolonged rainfall reduction could strain water resources if catchment areas receive less rain and dam inflows decline. “Increasingly dry soil and vegetation could increase the risk of forest and peat fires. The risk of haze could also rise if hot and dry conditions are accompanied by an increase in fires in the country or the region. “For transboundary haze, the level of impact would depend on the location and scale of the fires, as well as wind conditions that carry smoke towards Malaysia.”

o Hotter conditions could be more noticeable in northern and inland parts of the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN

warm, changing air movement and rain formation across the region. For Malaysia, this could reduce cloud formation and rainfall in some areas, increase the number of days without rain, and lead to hotter weather, longer dry spells and higher drought risk. He stressed that Super El Nino refers to a very strong event, when the Relative Oceanic Nino Index reaches 2°C or more. “Based on the latest projections from international climate monitoring and research centres, the intensity of El Nino is almost certain to reach the very strong, or super, level by the end of this year, with the probability approaching 100%. “Current projections also show that the intensity of this El Nino episode would exceed the strength of El Nino episodes recorded since 1950, with a probability of 75%.” He said the current episode could match or exceed the 1997-1998 and 2015-2016 Super El Nino events, both of which brought significant impacts to Malaysia. “During those episodes, Malaysia experienced hotter and drier conditions than usual, with significant rainfall reduction in several areas. “The country also faced serious local and transboundary haze, as well as pressure on water resources and supply.” The latest clarification expands on remarks

PETALING JAYA: Southern Peninsular Malaysia and parts of Sarawak are likely to see rainfall drop as El Nino strengthens, with Sabah following from October and the northern peninsula facing sharper dry conditions early next year, the Meteorological Department said. Its director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the heat risk would come later, near the end of the 2026-2027 northeast monsoon from January to March next year and possibly lasting until May. He said hotter conditions could be more noticeable in northern and inland parts of the peninsula, as well as inland areas in Sabah and Sarawak. “If El Nino this time develops to a very strong level as projected, several areas are expected to receive rainfall that is lower than average during certain months.” He elaborated that the southern peninsula could see lower-than-average rainfall in September and October, while eastern and southern Sarawak could be affected in September and Sabah from October onwards. He added that in the northern peninsula, a more significant rainfall reduction is projected to start in early 2027. On the El Nino phenomenon, Mohd Hisham explained that it happens when the tropical Pacific Ocean becomes unusually Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia occupational health professor Prof Dr Rosnah ismail said persistent high temperatures, humidity and prolonged heatwaves could compound workers’ internal body heat, especially among those doing strenuous tasks outdoors or in poorly ventilated workplaces. She explained that those at risk include construction workers, agricultural labourers, utility workers, street sweepers, waste collectors, e-hailing riders and indoor industrial workers in hot or enclosed facilities. “Exertional heat stroke is a medical emergency as it can affect healthy individuals who engage in strenuous work in hot or humid weather. “It happens when the body’s thermoregulatory centre fails, causing body temperature to rise rapidly and the body to be unable to cool down,” said Rosnah, who is also a public health medicine specialist at the university’s Public Health Medicine Department. She said core body temprature could rise rapidly to 41.1°C or higher within 15 minutes, leading to confusion, slurred speech, seizures or loss of consciousness. “Without immediate aggressive cooling, it could lead to permanent disability or death.” She added that workers should not wait until they feel thirsty before drinking water, as thirst is a delayed sign of dehydration. “By the time the brain triggers the sensation, the body has already lost between 1% and 2% of its normal fluid volume. “A body water loss of just 2% impairs essential physiological functions while a 3% loss significantly increases the risk of severe muscle cramps and exertional heatstroke.”

Dangers of heat stress highlighted to workers PETALING JAYA: Heat stress could turn dangerous within minutes for outdoor and manual workers during a strong El Nino, with employers urged to treat extreme heat as an occupational hazard.

Rosnah said employers

should conduct heat-stress risk assessments, provide shade, improve ventilation and schedule strenuous work during cooler hours. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/ THESUN

barriers, lack of heat acclimatisation upon arrival, hesitation to report symptoms due to job security concerns, or poor living conditions. “Workers performing heavy physical labour while fasting also face higher risk because of fluid and electrolyte restriction during daylight hours,” she noted. Rosnah added that employers should conduct heat-stress risk assessments, provide shade, improve ventilation and schedule strenuous work during cooler hours. “Heat safety policies must move beyond merely providing water breaks. Employers should encourage scheduled consumption of plain water and ensure heat acclimatisation for new or returning workers. “Workers should be trained to identify the earliest symptoms of heat-related illness and signs of dehydration. Briefings should also be mandatory before any outdoor or hot work.” – By Faiz Ruzman

Rosnah said warning signs must be detected early as heat strain can escalate quickly, stressing that affected workers may not realise their condition is worsening. Early signs include dry lips and tongue, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, headache, heavy sweating and pale or clammy skin. Emergency signs include hot and dry skin, confusion, slurred speech, erratic behaviour, seizures, loss of consciousness as well as a racing pulse. “High-risk groups include outdoor and heavy-labour workers, migrant workers, ageing workers above 50 years old, pregnant women and workers with pre-existing chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease,” she said. “Migrant workers are often disproportionately vulnerable due to language