KUCHING: A total of 107 schools in Serian were ordered to close temporarily after the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading exceeded 200 in the division.
Deputy Premier Datuk Douglas Uggah said this was a precautionary move to protect the safety, health and well-being of students and school staff.
“Home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) will be implemented throughout the closure period to ensure the continuity of learning for the students,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Uggah, who chairs the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, said the API readings in Sarawak had shown a rising trend since Aug 1.
At 4pm yesterday, Tebedu and Serian recorded very unhealthy levels of 212 and 202 respectively, while 11 other areas recorded unhealthy readings from 115 to 178.
However, the API in Serian dropped to 198 at 5pm.
At SK Sungai Sameran in Tebedu, parent Jenny Langkau was at work as usual when the school closure announcement was made.
“We received the notice at about 10am, during recess time. Parents were informed to pick up their children and I immediately brought my son home,” she said.
Jenny, a general service assistant at the school, said the closure was the right decision for the students’ health and safety.
She said her son, who is in Year Six, would continue studying at home through PdPR, but this depended on a reliable Internet connection.
“Sometimes there is no connection. But the teachers have also provided homework for the students to do,” she added.
Separately, state Deputy Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh said there were no immediate plans to conduct a cloud seeding exercise as rain was forecast in the coming days.
“There is a 30% chance of rain by Friday or Saturday. Based on this forecast, we don’t have any plans to conduct cloud seeding at the moment.
“Let’s pray there will be some rain to alleviate the situation,” he said.
Len Talif added that the state Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) was monitoring the situation hourly to determine if cloud seeding was necessary.
He said Sarawak was experiencing transboundary haze from west Kalimantan, with prevailing southeasterly winds blowing towards the state.
Meanwhile, construction company Hock Seng Lee Bhd (HSL) has adopted a company-wide response to the current hot and hazy conditions.
Its senior building operations officer Clinton Jawa Richardly said the company was using its centralised air conditioning and ventilation system to manage indoor conditions at HSL Tower in Kota Samarahan.
“Our aim is to maintain good ventilation while limiting unnecessary intake of hazy outdoor air,” he said.
HSL also advised employees to eat inside the building rather than going outdoors during the haze and was preparing more food at its staff canteen.
“This is a simple measure but it can make a practical difference,” said HSL corporate communications manager Jennifer Tang.
