Haze pushes Sarawak air quality close to 'very unhealthy' level

Sarawak's air quality deteriorated sharply on Friday, with eight regions registering unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, according to the Department of Environment's Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS). Serian experienced the worst conditions, with a reading of 183 at 7am, marking the highest level in the state.

Samarahan and Kuching followed closely with API readings of 172 each. Other areas, including Sri Aman, Sarikei, Mukah, Bintulu, and Sibu, also reached unhealthy levels, with readings of 164, 158, 152, 137, and 109 respectively. Four other locations - Samalaju, Miri, Kapit, and Limbang - recorded moderate air quality, with API readings of 97, 85, 66, and 55 respectively.

In response to the worsening conditions, schools in certain parts of Penang remained on alert. The Penang Education Department, led by director Mohamad Dziauddin Mat Saad, was closely monitoring the situation after the Minden station in George Town recorded an unhealthy API reading of 107. Despite the reading dropping to 96 by 8pm, the department advised schools to suspend all outdoor activities as a precautionary measure.

Schools located around Minden, seven in total, would suspend outdoor activities if the API reading remained unhealthy the following morning.

Mohamad Dziauddin urged pupils to wear face masks, hydrate frequently, and report any symptoms of illness to parents or guardians. Schools were instructed to close immediately if API readings surpassed 200, and reopen only if readings fell below 200 and displayed a downward trend.