Asia & Pacific
Sarawak, in Kalimantan, has been heavily affected by fires on the Indonesian side of the island, with haze forcing school closures in some parts of the state.
An aerial view shows haze shrouding the area around the Sarawak Legislative Assembly building (top) in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak state, Malaysia on September 1, 2026. (AFP/AFP)
Malaysia's Sarawak state declared an emergency in the district of Serian on Friday, after thick haze caused by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia pushed air pollution up to hazardous levels. Sarawak, in Kalimantan, has been heavily affected by fires on the Indonesian side of the island, with haze forcing school closures in some parts of the state.
Malaysian authorities categorise Air Pollution Index (API) readings above 300 as hazardous, with a measuring of 500 serving as the threshold for declaring an emergency. The API measured 519 in Serian on Friday, government data showed.
