The Serian Division in Sarawak declared a haze emergency on September 4 after the Air Pollutant Index (API) exceeded 500, reaching hazardous levels, prompting the consent of King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar for the declaration [1, 2, 3, 4]. The API later dropped to 334 but remained in the hazardous range, leading the Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas and the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to allow government and private workplaces, including plantations, industries, construction sites, and quarries, to continue operations with strict health precaution measures such as wearing N95 or three-ply masks [1, 2, 3, 4].
Other Sarawak areas, including Kuching, Samarahan, and Sri Aman, recorded very unhealthy API readings of 299, 286, and 247 respectively, but did not meet the emergency threshold [5, 6]. In light of the situation, approximately 647 schools across Sarawak were ordered closed starting September 7, with home-based teaching implemented to protect students from the haze exposure [4].
The Department of Environment (DOE) and other agencies stepped up monitoring and enforcement to combat open burning, deploying drone surveillance over affected peatlands and forest fire hotspots [5, 6]. DOE Deputy Director-General Azuri Azizah Saedon stressed the agency’s awareness of the emergency declaration and the hazardous impact on public health [5]. Cloud seeding operations also began in Sarawak and northern Peninsular Malaysia to induce rainfall and mitigate the haze, with permissions obtained to operate in Indonesian airspace where many forest fires originate [7, 8, 9, 10]. Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup noted that API levels above 400 are considered very dangerous and warrant emergency declarations [9].
The haze stems primarily from forest and land fires in Indonesia, which is working with ASEAN countries to coordinate transboundary haze pollution management. Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vahd Nabyl said the country is increasing vigilance against dry weather linked to prevailing climate conditions [11, 12].
Serian town has seen reduced outdoor activities, lower commercial footfall, and mounting health concerns since the emergency was declared [4]. The government continues to monitor API levels, with SDMC ready to respond to any further fluctuations above 500 as warned by Deputy Premier Uggah Embas [1].
The next scheduled event is the closure of the 647 schools from September 7, signaling a major disruption to normal school activities until air quality improves [4].
