Malaysia declares state of emergency in Sarawak’s Serian after air pollutant index exceeds 500
Serian recorded an air pollutant index reading of 515 as of 5pm on Friday after haze there worsened overnight. Readings above 400 are classified as “very hazardous”.
Haze blankets a road in Serian, Sarawak, on Sep 3, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Fadza Ishak)
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KUCHING, Sarawak: A state of emergency was declared in Sarawak’s Serian district in Malaysia’s Borneo island on Friday (Sep 4) after the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading exceeded 500.
Serian recorded a reading of 515 as of 5pm that day after haze there worsened overnight. It first recorded a reading past 500 – at 510 – at 9am on Friday.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Department said that Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has consented to the emergency declaration throughout Serian “following haze conditions that have reached air pollution levels hazardous to public health and safety”.
“This decision was made after taking into consideration the advice of the prime minister and the Premier of Sarawak as well as relevant agencies regarding the air quality level in the area,” the statement read, adding that more necessary measures will be taken to protect the health and welfare of affected residents.
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“The Government will continue to monitor developments from time to time and ensure that all required actions are implemented promptly, including mitigation measures as well as the dissemination of information and health advice to the public.”
Serian has a population of just under 106,000 people, according to data from Malaysia’s Department of Statistics. The Sarawak government website says Serian has an area of 2,039 sq km, or close to three times the size of Singapore.
Serian, about 60km southeast of Kuching, has been the worst hit district, with “hazardous” air quality recorded since last weekend. It was also the first to announce school closure on Aug 13 when the API readings briefly exceeded 200 then.
Local media reported that readings in Serian began to rise from 6pm on Thursday after haze conditions had shown signs of improvement over the preceding 24 hours.
State capital Kuching recorded a reading of 306, followed by Samarahan at 292 and Sri Aman at 241.
Under Malaysia’s API scale, readings above 400 are classified as “very hazardous”. Readings up to 50 are classified as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and 301 to 400 as hazardous.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Amar Douglas Uggah Embas previously said a locality would be declared an emergency if its API reading reached 500 under the National Haze Action Plan.
Such a declaration would result in the closure of all public and private sector activities except essential services, he said.
Sarawak borders Indonesia, which is battling fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra where “widespread hotspots” were reported by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre on Tuesday.
A three-day cloud-seeding operation was launched on Thursday in a bid to ease hazardous haze choking Sarawak, as smoke from Indonesian forest fires pushed air quality to dangerous levels.
The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee had said that the operation also aims to replenish water supplies ahead of expected hotter, drier weather.
Sarawak’s most recent worst air quality level was in 2019, when the API recorded a reading of 405. Meanwhile, the state’s last haze emergency was declared in September 1997, when the API reading peaked at 860.
Previously, Peninsular Malaysia declared a haze emergency in June 2013 across Johor’s Muar and Ledang districts after API readings there surpassed 750 then.
“CANNOT BREATHE”: SERIAN RESIDENT
Serian resident Yasmina R.C. Holland told CNA that the current haze episode is the worst she has experienced in the last two decades, adding that she had noticed the air quality deteriorating over the past two weeks.
The haze has taken a toll on her family, with some unable to go to work and others having to seek medical attention after experiencing breathing difficulties.
“I’ve had episodes where I cannot breathe, my eyes are stingy and the heat is unbearable to the point that I can’t do a basic job.” Yasmina told CNA.
The 26-year-old content creator said the conditions have been particularly difficult as she and several members of her family are asthmatic.
“Even just walking outside is a challenge and a chore in itself,” she said.
“Trying to do the washing and laundry outside of the house, we feel so tired.”
Her nephews and nieces have also been affected by school closures announced in Serian, leaving them unable to attend classes in person.
Meanwhile, all types of masks, including N95, have sold out at Farmasi Ting, a pharmacy in Serian district, amid a surge in demand.
Store assistants had earlier limited the number of masks placed on shelves to ensure that more customers had an opportunity to purchase them.
“People have been panic buying since the past two weeks and it’s like during the COVID season,” the pharmacy’s supervisor Lian Fah told CNA.
She added that the pharmacy has also seen an increase in customers purchasing cough syrup as well as medication for sore throats and runny noses.
Source: CNA/(as)
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