By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 5: Catholics living in areas affected by hazardous haze conditions have been excused from attending Sunday Mass, as worsening air quality across Sarawak continues to pose health risks to the public.
Archbishop Simon Poh announced the dispensation in a notice issued by the Archdiocese of Kuching, saying it applies particularly to the elderly, those with existing health conditions and anyone unable to travel to church because of the prevailing haze.
The dispensation is limited to areas where Air Pollutant Index (API) readings have reached the “Hazardous” and “Very Hazardous” categories.
“In view of the current haze situation affecting the Archdiocese of Kuching, all Catholics in the affected areas are dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass,” Poh said.
Instead, the faithful are encouraged to participate in online Masses streamed from St Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching, at 7am in English, 9am in Mandarin and 11am in Bahasa Malaysia.
Poh also advised priests and catechists to avoid travelling to affected rural areas and refrain from gathering people for masses in villages unless necessary.
The advisory comes as several areas across Sarawak continue to record unhealthy and hazardous API readings due to the transboundary haze caused by forest and peat fires in Kalimantan.
In recent days, several locations across the Sarawak have recorded hazardous API readings, with Kuching among the worst-affected areas. Authorities recorded API readings exceeding 300 in several divisions, while Serian breached the emergency threshold of 500 yesterday, prompting the declaration of a localised state of emergency.
However, air quality showed signs of improvement this morning. As of 10am today, the Serian air quality monitoring station recorded an API reading of 334, down significantly from 521 on Sept 4. Tebedu registered the second-highest reading at 270, while Kuching (267), Sri Aman (260), Samarahan (259) and Lundu (259) remained in the very unhealthy category.
In his message, Poh urged Catholics to remember those directly affected by the fires in Kalimantan and the wider transboundary haze crisis.
“We pray for the safety of all people affected by the fires in Kalimantan and the severe transboundary haze.
“May the Lord send down refreshing rain to extinguish the peat fires, wash away the toxic smoke and restore clean air to our land,” he said. — DayakDaily
