Transboundary haze creeps in with unhealthy air quality seen in Sarawak

AIR quality in parts of Sarawak worsened on Friday as prolonged hot weather and transboundary haze pushed Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in Kuching and Samarahan into the unhealthy category.

The deteriorating conditions have been attributed to widespread open burning and forest fires in neighbouring Kalimantan, Indonesia, with smoke drifting across the border into Sarawak.

Satellite imagery from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) detected numerous hotspots associated with open burning and forest fires across Kalimantan.

According to the Department of Environment's (DOE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), air quality continued to decline by 11am.

Kuching recorded an API reading of 132, rising from 109 at 6am, while Samarahan registered 136, up from 110 earlier in the morning. Both readings fall within the unhealthy category.

Elsewhere, eight monitoring stations recorded moderate air quality.

Limbang registered an API reading of 57, followed by the Industrial Training Institute (ILP) Miri (60), Kapit (60), Miri (67), Samalaju (76), Mukah (77), Bintulu (84) and Sibu (87).

Under Malaysia's API classification, readings between 0 and 50 are considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, and 101 to 200 unhealthy.

Members of the public, particularly children, older persons and individuals with respiratory illnesses, have been advised to limit outdoor activities and closely monitor API updates as haze conditions continue. - August 7, 2026