The Sabah Government has activated the State Disaster Operations Command Centre (PKOB) and district-level operations centres in Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Papar as worsening haze pushed air quality readings closer to the hazardous level of 200.
State Secretary Datuk Zainudin Aman, who chairs the State Disaster Management Committee, said the deteriorating situation had been brought to the attention of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on Wednesday.
As of 5pm on Tuesday, unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings were recorded in Kota Kinabalu at 177, Kimanis in Papar at 166, Keningau at 165, Tawau at 153 and Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic at 153.
The affected areas have been placed under Alert Level 1A of the National Haze Action Plan.
Zainudin said the worsening readings were linked to winds carrying haze into Sabah, with air quality expected to deteriorate further if there is no rainfall in Kalimantan.
Under Alert Level 1A, measures include suspending outdoor and co-curricular school activities, increasing monitoring of industrial premises and landfills, and recommending school closures with home-based learning if the API reaches 200.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Department of Environment (DOE) has intensified enforcement and daily patrols against open burning amid the hot and dry weather.
DOE director Nor Rashidah Mohd Ghazali said the department was prepared to step up enforcement in areas considered vulnerable to open burning while continuing to monitor API readings around the clock.
She said 474 patrols under the Open Burning Prevention Operation had been conducted so far.
Nor Rashidah said the deterioration in air quality was mainly caused by transboundary haze from forest and peat fires in Kalimantan, with prevailing winds carrying smoke across Borneo into Sabah.
She added that a fire which destroyed 202 stilt houses early Sunday had also contributed to the decline in local air quality, although the Fire and Rescue Department had not reported any other major fires around the city.
Citing a Tuesday report from the Singapore-based Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), she said NOAA-20 satellite imagery had detected two hotspots in Tuaran and Kota Belud. Both were located in scrubland and had since been completely extinguished.
Nor Rashidah said schools, kindergartens and nurseries would be ordered to close immediately if the API reaches 200.
She urged the public to monitor hourly API readings through the DOE website or official MyIPU mobile application, while referring to Health Ministry guidance for advice on protecting health during the haze.
The public was also reminded not to conduct open burning or allow their land and premises to be used by irresponsible parties for such activities.
Under Section 29A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, those convicted of open burning offences can face fines ranging from RM25,000 to RM1 million, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. Compounds ranging from RM2,000 to RM500,000 may also be imposed.
Nor Rashidah urged the public to help extinguish small fires and report open burning or fire incidents to the Fire and Rescue Department via 999 or its toll-free line at 1-800-88-2727.
