CLOUD-seeding operations will be conducted in three states from Sept 3 to 5 as the Government steps up efforts to tackle hazardous haze in Sarawak and address water shortages in several areas.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said operations in Sarawak would focus on eight areas, including the Batang Ai, Bakun, Murum, Bengoh, Gerugu, Assyakirin, Sika and Matang dams.
He said air pollution levels in some parts of Sarawak had reached dangerous levels, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) reportedly reaching as high as 500.
“What the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), together with the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), are doing is conducting cloud seeding as quickly as possible,” he told reporters after officiating the Desa Youth Convention 2026 in Shah Alam today.
“We will ask MetMalaysia to advise on areas, particularly those at dangerous levels, so that wind flows will move towards locations where the API is very dangerous,” he said.
Zahid, who chairs the National Disaster Management Committee, said coordination among relevant agencies was being accelerated to assist Sarawak, which has been affected by transboundary haze.
“Sarawak must be helped. The fires in Kalimantan have spread too widely, affecting about three-quarters of Sarawak. We must help,” he said.
The Government is also working with the Sarawak administration, including Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, to monitor conditions across the state.
For water management, cloud-seeding operations will also be carried out at the Pedu, Muda, Ahning and Beris dams in Kedah, as well as Timah Tasoh Dam in Perlis.
The operations are aimed at maximising available rainfall to support water resources while authorities continue monitoring haze conditions and the risk of further deterioration. - September 1, 2026
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