‘Somebody has to pay’: Serian chief says Sarawakians are fed up with yearly haze from Kalimantan Barat

SERIAN, August 14 — District Council chairman Dato Peter Minos has expressed his dissatisfaction with the worsening haze plaguing Serian, stating that the town's famous mountain view has been obscured. Minos noted that residents were questioning the disappearance of the mountain range, typically visible from the Serian District Council building, when he visited the area on Thursday morning.

He claimed that this was the worst haze situation in recent years, with the smoke originating from Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia, being carried into the region by prevailing winds. The Air Pollutant Index (API) in Serian reached 202 on Wednesday, a level classified as very unhealthy. "The haze is a major concern for us in Sarawak, posing a significant health hazard," Minos stated, highlighting that the most vulnerable groups - young children and the elderly - were particularly affected.

All schools in Serian were ordered to close due to the deteriorating air quality, prompting Minos to inquire about their potential reopening date. He questioned the authorities in Kalimantan Barat for their inability to prevent open burning, especially by large oil palm plantations during planting season. Minos argued that if Malaysians can comply with such regulations, so could they.

"We simply don't burn, and if we do, NREB will penalize us," he said, referring to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB). The recurring haze has had far-reaching consequences, causing school closures and diminishing tourism revenue, in addition to the health impacts. Minos expressed the growing frustration among Sarawakians, emphasizing that the haze is a human-made problem, not a natural occurrence, and someone needs to be held accountable for it.