KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has consented to lifting the emergency declaration in the entire Serian division in Sarawak, imposed last Friday following the haze situation.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the decision was made after considering the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and relevant agencies, which found that air pollutant index (API) readings in the area are no longer at hazardous levels.
“However, the haze in Sarawak has yet to fully subside, with several areas, particularly Serian and Samarahan, still recording very unhealthy levels.
“The federal and Sarawak governments will continue to monitor the situation closely, while residents in affected areas are advised to limit outdoor activities and comply with the authorities’ instructions,” the PMO said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
According to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (Apims) portal, 40 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy levels, 24 moderate readings and two good levels.
Meanwhile, Sarawak remained the worst-hit state by haze, with 12 areas recording elevated API readings later in the evening.
Of these, three areas recorded very unhealthy readings, with IPD Serian recording 266, followed by Samarahan (238) and Kuching (203), according to the latest APIMS readings.
Nine other areas in the unhealthy category were Sarikei (196), followed by Sri Aman (194), Sibu (183), Mukah (179), Samalaju (175), ILP Miri and Miri (167 each), Bintulu (166), and Limbang (141).
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre said dry weather prevailed over most parts of the southern Asean region yesterday, except over the northern and eastern parts of Borneo where some showers were observed.
The centre said scattered hotspots were detected in Kalimantan and Sumatra, while few to isolated hotspots were detected elsewhere in the southern Asean region.
