JOHOR BARU, July 10 -- The Department of Environment's (DoE) gas detectors, supplied to 111 schools in Pasir Gudang following a second bout of air pollution, are inadequate and a complete waste of equipment, claimed Pasir Gudang MCA division chief Tan Tuan Peng.

He said this is because the effectiveness of the gas detectors is limited to indoor areas, such as classrooms.

At an estimated price of RM10,000 per unit, the detectors are only capable of detecting one gas at a time. Those handling the device also need to set the type of gas they want to detect.

"The authorities claim that the detector can operate for 24 hours, while the time to charge the device alone is four hours and its usage can only be used for at a maximum time of 16 ho...