KUALA LUMPUR, March 7- The government is always prepared to face hot and dry weather situations, especially with the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon, said the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said the monsoon is expected to bring hot and dry weather from May to September this year.

All authorities must carry out continuous monitoring according to their respective jurisdictions and be prepared to take action in line with the Open Burning Action Plan and the National Haze Action Plan.

This is to curb open burning, haze, and recurring fires.

"According to Department of Environment (DOE) statistics, more than 1,000 open burning complaints were received between January and February 2025.

"As a preventive measure, authorities need to ensure the readiness of peatland infrastructure and related machinery which will enable any fire incident to be extinguished immediately.

"State governments are also urged to develop peatland infrastructure in areas at risk of fire, in line with the efforts currently being implemented by the Federal Government," he said in a statement.

He added that in line with the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, the government will explore opportunities to highlight several strategies in improving the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).

Earlier, the National Haze and Dry Weather Steering Committee Meeting (JIJCKK) No. 1 was held to review current and future weather conditions, as well as report on the status of air quality and open burning incidents.