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THE Government may consider declaring a state of emergency in areas affected by severe haze if the Air Pollutant Index (API) reaches 400 or above, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said.
He said under the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for haze management, an API reading of 400 or higher was classified as “very hazardous”, allowing the authorities to take more stringent measures to protect public health and safety.
He cited Serian, Sarawak, where API readings had exceeded 500, as an example of an area that could warrant consideration for an emergency declaration.
“If we follow the SOP, if the Air Pollutant Index records 400 or above, it is considered very hazardous and an emergency declaration can be considered.
“In Serian, it has already recorded more than 500, so it is more appropriate for us to propose that the area be declared an emergency area,” he said after the handover ceremony for the Malaysia Madani Adopt-a-Village and Adopt-a-School projects in Kampung Basung in Hulu Terengganu.
Arthur said the emergency status would remain in place until haze conditions improved and API readings fell to safer levels.
“If it drops from 500 and falls below 400, perhaps we can then propose that the emergency declaration be cancelled and withdrawn. So, if the API indeed exceeds 400, we will take the same measures according to the SOP,” he said.
Among the measures that could be introduced if an area were declared under a haze-related emergency are school closures, encouraging the public to wear face masks and restricting outdoor activities.
“People may also be asked to work from home and so on, depending on the situation,” he said.
Arthur said the Government was continuously monitoring API readings nationwide through 68 monitoring stations.
He said several areas in southern Sarawak had recorded persistently high and hazardous API readings for almost a week.
“As of today, of the 68 API stations, there are still three stations recording very unhealthy readings, namely Kuching, Kota Samarahan and Sri Aman, while one station is recording a hazardous reading, namely in Serian,” he said. - September 5, 2026
