This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Malaysia declared an emergency in the Serian division of its Sarawak state on Borneo after hazardous haze from fires in neighboring Indonesia drove air pollution to critical levels, the Prime Minister's Office said. The declaration covers the Serian division in Malaysian Borneo and will see 647 schools closed from Monday until at least the end of next week.
King Sultan Ibrahim "has consented to the declaration of emergency throughout Serian Division, Sarawak, following haze conditions that have reached air pollution levels hazardous to public health and safety," Anwar Ibrahim's office said in a statement. The move came after the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee formally requested the declaration when the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Serian breached the critical threshold of 500, peaking at 519 earlier Friday. Under Malaysian guidelines, API levels above 300 are classified as hazardous, while readings beyond 500 could trigger consideration of a local emergency.
Authorities launched a three-day cloud-seeding operation Thursday as smoke from Indonesia's Kalimantan region blanketed the state, driving up respiratory complaints and triggering a rush for haze-rated masks. Emergency agencies have alerted residents and begun distributing clean drinking water to affected communities. The government said the emergency will enable more effective mitigation measures, while cloud-seeding operations by the Royal Malaysian Air Force continued over key catchment areas to induce rain.
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