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Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has warned that air quality in parts of the state could deteriorate to an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 800 as transboundary haze from Indonesia returns
"It's going to be like 1997 again. I remember vividly. I was then a member of parliament. Kuching was blanketed by smoke. I was driving, and I could not see the car in front of me," he told the New Straits Times.
"Yes, it is possible for the API level to hit 800 (in parts of Sarawak)."
The warning comes as haze conditions in Sarawak worsened, with five areas recording hazardous API readings yesterday, 1 September.
Serian recorded the highest reading at 415 in the morning, followed by Kuching at 405, Samarahan at 369, Sri Aman at 355, and Sarikei at 328.
The haze is already disrupting daily life
Wan Junaidi said the current haze episode had already affected daily life in Sarawak, including the cancellation of the state's National Day celebration and school closures.
He also said the conditions had disrupted his plans to visit the interior.
"Children were forced to stay indoors. For those with air-conditioning, there is some respite, but imagine those in Serian, near the Kalimantan border, who would be badly affected."
The current haze follows fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, during a prolonged dry period, with forests and peatlands vulnerable to fires and winds carrying smoke across the border into Sarawak.
"We had almost 10 years of a haze-free ASEAN. The situation in 2026, especially in Sarawak, is worrying," said Wan Junaidi.
An aerial view shows haze shrouding the area around the Sarawak Legislative Assembly building (top) in Kuching on 1 September 2026.
Image via AFPWan Junaidi said preventing peatlands from catching fire was crucial because peat fires are difficult to extinguish once they start
"The best thing in peat management is to avoid destroying it or turning it into plantations," he said.
He called for greater cooperation between ASEAN countries to tackle the recurring haze problem.
"We need to collaborate in the ASEAN spirit to fight haze," he said.
"We all agreed to the ASEAN Haze-Free Roadmap. No haze from 2020."
Wan Junaidi also called for ASEAN environment ministers to meet to discuss peat management and preparedness, including working jointly to put out fires.
"We must stop the haze. The people are suffering. It is bad for businesses. The people of Sarawak must be protected."
Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
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