The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has ordered its smart pole system provider to immediately redesign the dashboard after an inappropriate air quality advisory message went viral.
Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the dashboard would be updated according to the official Air Pollutant Index (API) classifications, including suitable warnings for exceptionally high readings.
He said MBKS took the issue seriously as the smart pole system was intended to provide the public with accurate and timely information.
“We take this seriously. The purpose of the smart pole is to provide useful and timely information. When a technical limitation is identified, we correct it,” he said in a statement today.
The issue came to light after photos of one of the smart poles circulated online, showing an advisory telling the public it was a “wonderful time” to head outdoors, stay active and enjoy fresh air, despite the API reading being classified as hazardous.
Wee explained that the system had originally been programmed without anticipating API readings exceeding 450. As a result, no specific advisory message had been created for readings above that threshold.
When the reading went beyond the configured range, the dashboard’s advisory function automatically reverted to the message assigned to the lowest API category of between 0 and 50.
This resulted in the misleading outdoor activity recommendation appearing on the smart pole even though the numerical API reading clearly indicated hazardous air quality.
Wee stressed that the incident did not mean MBKS regarded the air quality as safe, saying the problem stemmed from a programming limitation within the dashboard.
“The issue was not that MBKS considered the air quality safe. The API reading clearly showed a hazardous level. The problem was a limitation in the dashboard programming when the reading went beyond the range originally configured,” he said.
He also thanked members of the public who highlighted the issue and assured that MBKS would continue improving the system.
The council will work to ensure the API figure, gauge and accompanying advisory message remain consistent and appropriate across all levels of air pollution readings.
