By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Sept 4: A state of emergency has been declared throughout Serian Division after air pollution caused by worsening haze reached levels deemed hazardous to public health and safety.
The Prime Minister’s Office said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had consented to the declaration following the deterioration of air quality in the division.
The decision was made after taking into consideration the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and relevant agencies regarding the air quality situation in the affected area.
Earlier today, Sarawak was awaiting a decision from the federal government and the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare an emergency after the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Serian surged above 500, a level classified as “very hazardous” and capable of causing serious health impacts.
Deputy Premier and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Serian air quality monitoring station recorded an API reading exceeding 500 at 8am before rising further to 521 by 2pm.
He said an API reading above 500 automatically triggers the highest alert category, Level 5A (Very Dangerous), under the National Haze Action Plan (NHAP) and requires an emergency to be declared for the affected area.
“Following discussions with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, he had conveyed Sarawak’s proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for an emergency declaration in Serian, in line with National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) Directive No. 1,” he told a press conference at the SDMC operations room in Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
Uggah said the authority to declare an emergency rested with the federal government and required the consent of the Agong.
“Premier has communicated the intention of the Sarawak Government to implement an emergency in Serian, where the API is more than 500. We are now waiting for the outcome of that decision,” he said before the consent was announced.
The Prime Minister’s Office subsequently confirmed that the King had consented to the emergency declaration.
It said more effective measures would be taken to protect the health and welfare of residents affected by the haze, while the Government would continue to monitor developments and ensure all necessary actions were implemented immediately.
These include mitigation measures as well as the dissemination of information and health advisories to the public.
Uggah had stressed that the proposed emergency would be confined to the Serian locality, covering an area within a 20-kilometre radius as identified by the Department of Environment (DOE).
He also clarified that the emergency declaration would not be similar to the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This emergency is not like MCO or Covid. It is not a lockdown,” he said.
Instead, he said the measure was aimed at protecting public health by encouraging people to remain indoors and minimising exposure to the hazardous air conditions.
Under the proposed emergency measures, public and private offices would be directed to close, although essential services would continue operating.
“These include supermarkets, petrol stations, banks and several other government facilities,” he said, adding that details involving enforcement agencies such as the police, military and other departments providing public assistance would be announced later.
Uggah said the State government was treating the situation with the utmost seriousness and had acted swiftly to seek federal approval for the emergency declaration.
Describing the situation as unprecedented during his tenure as SDMC chairman, Uggah said a clear chain of command had been established should the emergency be enforced.
He said the Sarawak Security Council, chaired by the Premier, would serve as the highest authority, while operational responsibilities would be delegated to the SDMC.
“The commander-in-chief for this operation will be the Sarawak Police Commissioner, assisted by the Director of the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia and all other relevant agencies,” he said.
Uggah expressed hope that the public would comply with all directives under the emergency, stressing that the primary objective was to safeguard public health. – DayakDaily
