Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak over worsening Indonesian haze

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia’s Ministry of Environment and Water announced a state of emergency for Serian district in Sarawak on Thursday after air‑quality readings from the Department of Environment’s monitoring stations rose to a “hazardous” level of 401 µg/m³ of particulate matter (PM2.5). The rapid deterioration follows a series of forest‑fire outbreaks in the region, which have been exacerbated by dry weather conditions and cross‑border haze from neighboring Indonesia. Under the emergency order, all schools and non‑essential government offices in Serian are to close until further notice, public gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited, and authorities have deployed additional health teams to provide respiratory support and distribute masks to vulnerable residents.

The emergency decree also grants local officials the authority to restrict vehicular traffic, enforce temporary road closures, and coordinate with the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department to contain any active fire hotspots. The Ministry urged citizens to limit outdoor activities, stay indoors with windows closed, and monitor official updates via the Air Quality Index portal. Officials indicated that air‑quality levels will be reassessed every six hours, and the emergency status will be lifted once PM2.5 concentrations fall below the “unhealthy” threshold of 151 µg/m³.