A former preschool student from Bukit Jelutong wrote a letter to then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad back in 2019, expressing his concerns over the worsening haze at the time.
The preschool recently shared the letter on Threads, giving people a glimpse of the struggles the 6-year-old and his friends faced during that period, when the API reading reached 219 on 18 September 2016.
For illustration purposes only
Malaysian writes to Tun M about how haze affected his health
In the letter, Aqil Ilman shared how the haze was affecting his health, saying that his skin had become itchy and he was feeling dizzy, forcing him to stay indoors.
He also mentioned having to wear a mask to school because of the worsening haze, while some of his friends were falling sick.
“Dear Tun Dr Mahathir, how are you doing, sir? Are you okay? I’m not okay because of the haze. My skin is itchy and my head is dizzy. I have to stay indoors. I have to wear a mask to school. Some of my friends are sick. Aaron’s nose is bleeding and Qaiser has a fever. Teacher Umi is coughing badly.”
“I think the animals are sick too”
Aqil also urged Tun M to put a stop to the forest fires, pointing out that animals were likely suffering from the haze too. In his letter, he even came up with a few ideas to tackle the problem, including using a giant fan to blow the haze away and asking “BoBoiBoy” to help put it out.
“I think the animals are sick too. We must stop the haze now. First, stop the forest fire. If they don’t stop, put them in jail. Second, switch on a giant fan to blow the haze away. Third, we need lots of rain to snuff out the fire. Last, we ask BoBoiBoy to put out the haze.
“I hope to hear from you soon. Please take care of yourself. You must drink 10 glasses of water a day. Your friend, Aqil Ilman.”
Meanwhile, another photo shared by the preschool showed a student named Maryam who put together a list of things people should and shouldn’t do during the haze. Among her suggestions were avoiding smoking, drinking plenty of water, and eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
She also reminded people to stay indoors, keep their windows and doors closed, and maintain good hygiene. However, one rather unexpected rule on her list was “no farting.”
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