KUANTAN, Aug 20 — The Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has ordered the Pahang people to continue praying and perform the special Istisqa' prayer to end the dry spell in the state.

The dry weather has caused the water level of Sungai Pahang in several areas to record a significant drop and incidents of forest fires.

"I pray every day, and everyone should also do the same – let's pray for no droughts, floods, and disasters. Continue to pray, and do not lose hope. We should be grateful when there is heavy rain, although not long, and when there is sun.

"(Forest) fires are not only caused by dry (and hot) weather because sometimes human negligence such as smoking or burning in dry areas, also contributes. We should try to avoid doing these," the Pahang Ruler told reporters after visiting three families whose houses at Taman Pinggiran Putra, Tanjung Lumpur, were destroyed in a fire on Thursday.

The Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah was also in attendance.

Al-Sultan Abdullah also ordered the construction of a fire and rescue station in Tanjung Lumpur due to the frequent fire incidents in the area and its surroundings, including Inderapura and Penor.

"It is time for us to have a proper fire station for this area because every year there are fires (in the surrounding areas) and day by day, the population and development in Tanjung Lumpur are increasing. I hope the government can work on this," said the Pahang Sultan. — Bernama