A THIN grey haze has settled over Kuching in recent days, thinning the skyline and nudging residents indoors as air quality across the country worsens, with five areas in Sarawak recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings on Saturday (Aug 8).
As of 8 am, Serian recorded the highest API reading at 171, followed by Kuching and Samarahan at 154 each, Sri Aman at 139 and Bintulu at 124, according to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS).
An API reading between 101 and 200 is classified as unhealthy and may pose health risks, particularly to vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.
The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has linked the deterioration to transboundary haze and the prevailing Southwest Monsoon, with 905 hotspots detected in Kalimantan, Indonesia, between August 1 and 6 alone – compared to just six across Sarawak in the same period.
For many, the change has been felt less in numbers than in small, everyday disruptions.
Mohamad Aidil Qazim, 18, usually looks forward to a jog after his shifts at a supermarket – his way of shaking off the day.
“I usually go jogging after work to relieve stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Since the haze occurred, it has affected my leisure time – I can’t enjoy my usual outdoor walking and jogging routine,” he said.
The haze has hit closer to home too. Aidil said a family member had recently come down with a fever and a persistent cough, an illness he suspects is tied to the poor air.
In response, he has taken on the role of an informal town crier of sorts – screenshotting haze updates and forwarding them to family and colleagues, reminding them to drink water, mask up, and stay indoors where possible.
“I believe simple, direct messages like these get more attention from people nowadays, especially when shared through social media and WhatsApp,” he said.
Across town, Aina Yusreen, 25, an administrator, has had to quietly let go of her evening brisk walks.
“When I feel dizzy or uncomfortable, I don’t feel like going for my walk in the evening,” she said.
Two of her relatives have also fallen ill recently, with fever and sore throats she believes may be linked to the haze.
These days, she avoids unnecessary outdoor trips and steers clear of areas where open burning might be taking place – small precautions, she said, but ones she hopes more people will take seriously.
“I feel that more public awareness and reminders about the health risks of haze would be helpful, especially for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly,” she said.
For Muhammad Harith Farhan, 24, a job-seeker, the haze has meant rearranging both chores and leisure.
He usually helps his parents around the house and plays football with friends in the evenings, but the thickening air has cut into both.
“With the haze, it limits my outdoor time. We had to reschedule practice,” he said.
His bigger concern is closer to home.
Harith said he has noticed his parents tiring more easily in recent days, and worries the haze may be taking a toll on their health.
He has responded by cutting back on his own outdoor exposure, wearing a mask and limiting his time outside when he does have to leave the house.
Harith said he first learned about the haze through social media and his own observations, rather than official channels, and feels public awareness remains lacking.
“I still see a lot of people having outdoor activities at the moment, and it can be dangerous as anything can happen these days,” he said.
NREB has advised the public – particularly high-risk groups – to drink sufficient water, reduce outdoor activities, and wear face masks outdoors, while warning that open burning offenders may face a fine of up to RM100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both under the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance (Cap. 84 – Laws of Sarawak, Ed. 1958).
