SERIAN: Malaysia and Indonesia should work together to address open burning as haze continues to affect communities in Sarawak, says Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus.
He said stronger cooperation is needed as haze had become a recurring problem affecting the state almost every year.
John said while authorities in Sarawak had taken measures to curb open burning, similar efforts needed to be effectively implemented across the border.
“They should work together on this particular issue because we face this almost every year.
“Our authorities here have taken measures to stop open burning, but the same needs to be done on the other side.
“We need to take the same approach so that efforts to stop open burning can be more effective,” he told reporters after officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony for the upgrading of the Serian Sports Complex here today (Aug 21).
John said the current haze had already disrupted several activities in Serian, including the ground-breaking ceremony which was originally scheduled for last week.
He said several other outdoor activities had also been called off due to the haze, including the Bung Sadung Climbathon Trail Challenge 2026 scheduled to take place on Aug 23.
As such, he advised the public to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities while air quality remained at very unhealthy levels.
As of 11 am today, Serian recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 239, which falls under the very unhealthy category.
