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Haze Emergency Grips Malaysian Borneo Town
Confirmed
In Short: Acrid smoke and hazardous air quality have forced residents in Serian, Malaysia to limit their outdoor activities as the town declares a state of emergency due to transboundary haze from Indonesia.
Acrid smoke hangs heavily over Serian, a town in Malaysian Borneo, as residents navigate an air-quality emergency fueled by transboundary haze from Indonesia’s raging fires. The town, southeast of Sarawak’s capital Kuching, has seen air pollution readings reach critical levels, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency.
Local resident Ajen Anak Kunok, 64, a retired technician, said, 'I rarely leave the house when it’s like this. I only come out to buy food and groceries, then I’ll immediately head home,' highlighting the impact on daily routines. The emergency has also affected livelihoods, with roadside durian seller Siaw Thien Ha, 53, reporting a significant drop in customers.
The situation has worsened to the point where the town’s markets have seen a decline in activity, with sellers of Serian’s famous durians waiting in vain for customers. Sister Irmina Peter, 64, a teacher at St Joseph’s Private Primary School in Kuching, expressed concern that the emergency could spread to other districts in Sarawak.
Malaysia declared a state of emergency in Serian on Friday, after air pollution readings reached 512, surpassing the hazardous threshold of 300 and triggering local emergency measures. The toxic haze has been a persistent issue, with Indonesia’s fires affecting not only Serian but also parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
What's confirmed
- In Serian, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of Sarawak’s capital Kuching, residents tried to carry on with weekend routines but said the thick haze forced them to plan shorter trips to avoid the worst of the smoke.
- Ajen told AFP he had spent the past week battling shortness of breath and a sore throat due to the ongoing haze, before going to the hospital Saturday for treatment.
- Toxic haze has shrouded parts of Indonesia and Malaysia for weeks as Jakarta struggles to contain fires that have scorched large tracts of Borneo and Sumatra, with the plumes drifting into neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
- On Friday, Serian became the first district in the country this year to declare an emergency over the worsening air quality when API levels passed 500 and peaked at 512.
- Under Malaysian guidelines, API levels above 300 are classified as hazardous, while readings beyond 500 usually trigger consideration of a local emergency.
- At the town’s markets, the usual bustling throng dwindled, while roadside sellers of Serian’s famous durians waited in vain beside their piles of fruit for customers that came in diminished numbers.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.