Malaysia's King ends haze emergency status in Serian, Sarawak

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Malaysia’s King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, has revoked the declaration of a haze emergency across the whole of Serian Division in the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Monday.

According to a statement posted on the official social media account of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office, monitored from Jakarta on Monday, the decision was taken after Sultan Ibrahim received views from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari.

In addition, several relevant agencies also reported that the Air Pollution Index (API) in Serian Division was no longer at a dangerous level.

Nevertheless, the API levels in several areas of Sarawak, particularly Serian and Samarahan, were still recorded as very unhealthy.

The Malaysian government and the Sarawak state government will continue to monitor the haze situation and the air pollution index in the region.

“Residents in affected areas are advised to limit outdoor activities and always comply with instructions from the authorities,” the statement said.

Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim declared a state of emergency across the whole of Serian Division on Saturday (5/10), following haze that had reached air pollution levels endangering public health and safety.

According to a report by the Turkish news agency Anadolu, Malaysia carried out cloud-seeding operations for three days in the eastern part of Sarawak starting from Thursday (3/10) to restore dam water levels and reduce the impact of haze in the region.

Malaysia also requested permission to utilise Indonesian airspace for the operation, as part of efforts to handle the haze caused by forest and land fires (karhutla) in Indonesian territory.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela stated that Indonesia continues to communicate and coordinate with countries in the region and to make use of ASEAN mechanisms in handling the haze.