Serian API Hits 475, Six More Areas In Sarawak Record Hazardous Levels
KUCHING: Serian recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Sarawak at 475, while six other areas also registered hazardous levels following the increasingly worrying haze situation.
Sarawak Deputy Premier, who is also the Chairman of the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, stated that the six areas are Tebedu (402), Lubok Antu (375), Lundu (363), Samarahan (333), Kuching (331), and Sri Aman (331).
He said three areas, namely Sarikei (275), Sibu (220), and Mukah (215), are at the very unhealthy level.
Meanwhile, he noted that eight other locations in Sarawak, namely Kapit (164), Bintulu (161), Samalaju (180), Miri (171), ILP Miri (169), Limbang (161), Lawas (137), and Bario (115), are currently in the unhealthy category.
"SDMC, through the Department of Environment (DOE) together with the Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak (NREB), is closely monitoring the situation, and we are working to establish a mechanism so that related information can be reported periodically through mass media, particularly TVS," he said.
He said this during a press conference on the haze situation at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here on Monday.
Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah stated that on August 29, 2026, Sarawak recorded nine hotspots compared to 1,180 in Kalimantan and 18 in Sumatra, while Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia recorded two hotspots each.
He added that on August 30, Sarawak continued to record nine hotspots.
He explained that cumulatively based on monitoring from January to August 30, 2026, Sarawak recorded 302 hotspots, with 186 of them detected in August.
He further added that this compares to 15,587 hotspots detected in Kalimantan during the same period, including 13,212 hotspots in August.
"Latest regional monitoring and satellite analysis show significant fire activity in several areas in Kalimantan, with haze smoke potentially affecting Sarawak.
"In fact, the wind is bringing the haze to Sarawak from the direction of Kalimantan," he explained. — UKASnews
