Serian Hits Hazardous 364 API Level as Haze Triggers Surge in Asthma Cases Nationwide

KUCHING, Aug 30 — Serian in Sarawak recorded a hazardous Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 364 this morning as air quality continued to deteriorate rapidly across several states, triggering a sharp increase in haze-related medical conditions nationwide.

According to the Department of Environment’s (DOE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, the hazardous reading was logged at 8:00 am at the Serian District Police Headquarters monitoring station. Air quality also degraded to very unhealthy levels in three other Sarawak locations, with Samarahan recording an API of 300, Kuching reaching 291, and Sri Aman logging 214.

Unhealthy air quality was registered across eight additional areas in Sarawak, including Sarikei at 195, Sibu at 187, Bintulu at 179, Samalaju at 171, Mukah at 170, Kapit at 159, Miri at 155, and the Miri Industrial Training Institute at 151. In Peninsular Malaysia, five areas in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Perak registered unhealthy API readings as of 9:00 am today, led by Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur and Johan Setia in Selangor with readings of 153 each, followed by Tanjung Malim at 121, Taiping at 113, and Cheras at 105.

The worsening atmospheric conditions have driven a significant surge in health complications across the country. Surveillance data from Ministry of Health (MOH) sentinel facilities revealed that asthma cases escalated to 1,811 in Epidemiological Week 34 (Aug 23–29), up sharply from 219 cases recorded in the preceding week. Conjunctivitis cases also increased to 720 from 146 in Epidemiological Week 33, while upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) cases dropped by 50 percent to 1,857 from 3,674.

The ministry confirmed that no deaths linked to haze complications have been reported to date. Following the rise in respiratory-related illnesses, MOH advised the public—particularly high-risk groups such as children, senior citizens, and individuals with chronic lung conditions—to limit outdoor physical activities and wear suitable masks, such as N95 masks, when outdoors.

–NMT