THE health and safety of children continue to be the government's priority in facing the increasingly worrying threat of cross-border haze.
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the government would not hesitate to temporarily close early education institutions if Air Pollution Index (API) readings reached dangerous levels.
She said the Sarawak Government's approach to the extreme weather crisis should be emulated to minimise the risk of exposure to haze smoke, especially among children and vulnerable groups.
According to her, if the closure of educational institutions had to be implemented for a certain period, careful planning must be prepared to ensure that the learning process and children's needs were not affected.
"If students are out of school for too long, then there needs to be a specific plan, and we believe that, just like during COVID-19, we have all complied with the regulations that have been set.
It was earlier reported that haze conditions in Sarawak worsened today, with 10 areas recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as smoke from Kalimantan continued to drift across the border.
As of 7.30 am, Serian recorded the highest reading at 191, followed by Kuching at 181, Samarahan at 178, Sri Aman at 174 and Sarikei at 171, according to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS).
Sibu recorded an API reading of 160, while Samalaju, Bintulu and Mukah each registered 156. Miri recorded 151.
Bukit Rambai in Melaka was the only other area outside Sarawak to record an unhealthy reading, at 140.
The worsening air quality came a day after 591 schools under 10 District Education Offices in Sarawak were ordered to close amid deteriorating haze conditions. – August 22, 2026
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