Malaysia declares state of emergency in Sarawak’s Serian after air pollutant index exceeds 500

Malaysia's King, Sultan Ibrahim, has declared a state of emergency in Serian, Sarawak, due to severe haze from forest fires. The air pollutant index in Serian reached 515 as of 5pm on Friday, according to Channel News Asia, which is classified as "very hazardous".

The declaration was made after considering advice from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, and relevant agencies, as reported by Malay Mail and Free Malaysia Today. The emergency will allow for more effective measures to protect the health and welfare of residents affected by the hazardous air pollution.

The haze in Serian is attributed to transboundary forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia, according to Free Malaysia Today and The Jakarta Post. The situation will continue to be monitored, and necessary measures will be implemented to mitigate the effects of the haze.

Brief written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia, The Vibes, Malay Mail, Free Malaysia Today, The Jakarta Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.