Better be safe than sorry
Despite air quality improvement, students and parents remain wary
People may be breathing easier in Pasir Gudang after the Sungai Kim Kim chemical pollution crisis but masks remain firmly in place as students and teachers return to schools.
PASIR GUDANG: The Sungai Kim Kim pollution has eased up but that has not stopped many people, especially schoolchildren, from wearing face masks to protect themselves from any lingering toxic fumes.
Schools in and around here have reopened following the end of the pollution and the one-week school holiday.
Checks at SMK Pasir Gudang 2 here found that many students and parents were still wearing face masks despite the Department of Environment’s assurance that the air quality is back to normal.
Among them was Nur Syazwani Husaini, who was earlier warded at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) after she complained of nausea.
“My class is on the third floor. It was windy and there was a sudden strong smell.
“I have asthma, so I had difficulty breathing. Each time I took a breath, I could feel a burning sensation,” she recounted when met at the school here yesterday.
Another student, Nur Aishah Rusman, said it was a scary experience to see her friends, teachers and school staff being affected by the toxic fumes.
“A teacher brought me to the quarantine room. It was full of my schoolmates lying around and crying due to the pain.
“My parents actually did not want me to go to school because they were afraid that the toxic fumes might come back,” she added.
Johor Islamic Affairs and Education Committee chairman Aminolhuda Hassan said 355 students from around here had submitted their applications for the Takaful Pelajar Sekolah Malaysia (TPSM) claim.
He said it involved students who were sent to hospital wards. Each student would be paid RM25 a day for the duration of their time in the hospital.
“All students in the country are covered by TPSM,” Aminolhuda added.
SMK Pasir Gudang 2 was one of the 111 schools that were shut down following the third wave of toxic gas pollution caused by a chemical substance that had been dumped into Sungai Kim Kim on March 6.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said students still traumatised by the toxic fumes would go for counselling sessions.
He said the Welfare Department and HSA’s psychiatric unit would be conducting the sessions starting today.
“It will be done in stages, starting with two to three weeks depending on the trauma level of the student,” he said after visiting SMK Pasir Gudang 1 yesterday.
He added that all 111 schools had reopened.
Aminolhuda said the affected students would have to catch up on their studies to prepare for upcoming examinations and that the schools need not hold replacement classes.
“Examinations will not be postponed. I believe the teachers are experienced in handling the learning procedures.
“We expect them to complete the syllabus to ensure that students are prepared to take the exams,” he said.