Full Breakdown
Sarawak Faces Hazardous Haze as API Peaks Above 400
8/31/2026, 11:19:55 AM
Escalating Air Pollution in Sarawak
Around noon on August 30, the Air Pollution Index (API) in Kuching rose above the hazardous threshold of 301, reaching 475. Nearby districts of Samarahan and Serian also breached hazardous levels, and by August 31 Sri Aman recorded hazardous readings after midnight.
Background: Transboundary Fires in Kalimantan
Authorities attribute the deteriorating air quality to haze from forest and peat fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region. Satellite monitoring by the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre identified more than 1,000 peat fires across Kalimantan. Local contributions include a fire that destroyed 202 stilt houses in Kampung Numbak, Sabah, on August 30.
Data & Statistics
- API readings: Kuching 475; Serian 476 (highest district); Samarahan and Sri Aman > 300 (as of 10 a.m. Aug 31).
- Regional API: Kota Kinabalu 122 and Tawau 153 (unhealthy).
- Health impact: The Malaysian Health Ministry recorded 1,811 asthma cases between August 23-29, an eight-fold increase from the previous week.
- Patrols: Sabah’s Open Burning Prevention Operation conducted 474 patrols since the haze began.
Official Statements & Responses
Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas warned that if the API reaches 500, the National Disaster Management Agency will assess the situation and may advise an emergency declaration. He urged residents to wear masks outdoors.
State Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg cancelled the state-level National Day celebrations in Kapit.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim moved his August 30 National Day address to the indoor Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi announced cloud-seeding operations beginning on August 30 in Putrajaya, later extending to Sarawak, Kedah, and Perlis, to raise dam water levels and mitigate haze. The effort is a joint operation by MetMalaysia and the Royal Malaysian Air Force and will continue into early September in Sarawak.
Sabah Environment Department representative Nor Rashidah Mohd Ghazali said enforcement and daily patrols are being intensified.
On-the-Ground Reports
Kuching resident Kenny Boon, 40, recalled being confined to his home as a sixth-grader during the 1997 haze emergency, when the API peaked at 860.
Pig farmer Veronica Chew, 62, described wearing a mask as her air purifier showed an API of 124 at 6 a.m. on August 29, rising to 405 by night, with poor visibility and a burning smell.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
No source provided a definitive attribution of the Kalimantan fires to specific companies or confirmed the extent of Malaysian corporate involvement. The precise contribution of local versus transboundary sources remains unquantified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If the API threshold of 500 is breached, the National Disaster Management Agency will assess the situation and, if prescribed criteria are met, advise on initiating the emergency declaration process,” — Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah
- “Indonesian authorities claim Malaysian companies are involved,” — Heng
- “It’s time to prove that Malaysian companies are not contributing to forest fires in Indonesia. Strict laws would serve as a deterrent to curb these unsustainable practices – otherwise, the haze will continue to recur.” — Greenpeace
What’s Next
If the API exceeds 500, officials indicated that the National Disaster Management Agency will evaluate criteria for an emergency declaration. Cloud-seeding operations are scheduled for early September in Sarawak, aiming to raise dam water levels and reduce haze intensity.
