Jerebu tahap bahaya, darurat diisytihar di Serian

The King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim, has approved the declaration of a state of emergency in Serian, Sarawak, following hazardous air pollution caused by smoke from forest fires in Indonesia, according to <source>. The Prime Minister's office announced the decision following consultations with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, and relevant agencies responsible for air quality in the affected area.

The government is taking more effective measures to protect the health and well-being of the affected residents, according to a statement. The authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely and ensure that all necessary actions are taken promptly, including mitigation measures, public health information, and advice. By 5:25 pm, the Air Pollution Index (API) in Serian reached 515, following smoke from forest fires in Indonesia.

Kuching also recorded hazardous API readings of 306, while Samarahan (292) and Sri Aman (241) were in a very unhealthy state. The last emergency smoke incident in Kuching was declared in September 1997, when the API peaked at 650. Earlier, Anwar contacted Abang Johari earlier today to discuss the smoke situation in Sarawak, and assured that appropriate safety measures, including the suspension of operations in offices and schools, except for essential agencies, would be implemented if necessary.