KUCHING: People have been urged to refrain from open burning and exercise greater caution during the prevailing hot and dry spell.
While the haze situation in Sarawak is getting better, Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Development MInister, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said current hot and dry conditions were increasing the risk of fires, particularly in areas with peat soil.
She called for public cooperation to prevent further worsening of air quality.
“We pray for rain to help douse the fires and reduce the haze. But at the same time, we urge the public to cooperate.
“Please do not discard cigarette butts carelessly and avoid open burning as it will worsen the situation,” she said after attending the ‘PETRONAS Powering Knowledge: Education Sponsorship Award Presentation Ceremony (APC) 2025’ at the Sheraton Hotel here today.
Fatimah also related her personal experience last Saturday when a plane she was on was unable to land in Mukah due to heavy haze.
“We arrived around 8:30 am but ended up circling above Mukah Airport for nearly an hour. The pilot informed us we couldn’t land safely and had to return to Kuching,” she said.
She said the haze was believed to have been caused by a fire behind the UiTM campus in Mukah, close to the airport.
“Mukah has a lot of peatlands, and once a fire starts there, it’s very difficult to put out. The current Air Pollution Index (API) reading shows Mukah is still in the red zone,” she said, adding that nearby areas like Dalat had better readings but the airport vicinity remained severely affected.
Fatimah also noted that the State Education Department (JPNS) had taken steps to safeguard students’ health, particularly those with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
“Outdoor school activities are discouraged when the API is high. Schools are advised to move programmes indoors and ensure that students wear face masks when necessary,” she said.
As of this morning, the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has detected moderate air quality at all 18 of its monitoring stations across Sarawak.
At 8:00 am, Mukah recorded an API reading of 71, while Lundu registered the highest reading at 88 – up from 79 at 4:00 pm on Monday.
The lowest API reading was recorded in Lubok Antu at 52, compared to 45 at 4:00 pm on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sibu and Miri recorded API readings of 75 and 68, respectively, at 8:00 am.
Kuching’s API reading remained unchanged at 74, the same as recorded at 4:00 pm on Monday.
For updates on the current heatwave status, the public can visit MetMalaysia’s official website at https://www.met.gov.my/iklim/status-cuaca-panas.
