The emergency had been declared on Friday, September 4, after hazardous haze affected the district on the island of Borneo. Malaysian authorities said air quality has since improved, although the haze remains a health concern.
The emergency declaration covered Serian, a district in Sarawak located near the Malaysian-Indonesian border. The area was among those most severely affected by smoke drifting from fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan region.
Before the emergency was declared, Serian's Air Pollution Index (API) reached 519, exceeding Malaysia's emergency threshold of 500. Malaysia classifies API readings above 300 as hazardous to health.
The haze also disrupted daily activities in Sarawak. Schools in several affected areas were closed as authorities sought to limit public exposure to polluted air. Cloud-seeding operations were also carried out as part of efforts to improve conditions.
Malaysia's Prime Minister's Office said the emergency was lifted after air quality in Serian improved and fell below hazardous levels. However, Malaysian authorities continued to caution residents about potential health risks as haze conditions could change depending on weather and fire activity.
The haze has been linked to forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, particularly in parts of Kalimantan. Smoke from the fires has crossed the border into Malaysian Borneo, contributing to deteriorating air quality in Sarawak.
Indonesia has been conducting firefighting and weather-modification operations to contain the fires. Indonesian authorities have also taken legal action against people suspected of deliberately setting fires and have investigated cases involving forest and land burning.
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