Sarawakians, particularly those with respiratory conditions, have been urged to cut down on outdoor activities as the Air Pollutant Index (API) rises above 200 in several areas amid worsening haze.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is also Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, said people with conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should take additional precautions during the current haze episode.
He advised those affected to use their prescribed preventive inhalers and take necessary measures to protect themselves from the polluted air.
“You must take your health seriously. With the API above 200, try to minimise outdoor activities. You must have your mask on and eye drops ready in case you get itchy eyes,” he told reporters after officiating at the ‘PUBG Mobile OooHaa Sarawak’ programme at the Batu Kawa Innovation Hub yesterday.
Dr Sim also said government agencies had been advised to limit outdoor work unless it was essential.
He said local councils, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) and other government agencies had been instructed to minimise outdoor operations where possible, while urgent jobs such as repairing burst water pipes would still need to be carried out.
“We try to ensure that all outdoor works are minimised unless absolutely necessary. Don’t expose staff and workers unnecessarily at this point in time,” he said.
On the regional haze situation, Dr Sim expressed hope that Indonesia would strengthen efforts to tackle the issue, noting that changing weather patterns linked to climate change had made the situation different from previous years.
He pointed out that wildfires and bushfires were becoming increasingly severe in various parts of the world, including Europe, showing that the effects of climate change could no longer be viewed as an issue confined to individual countries.
“Everyone can help because these are part of climate change. The weather is not the same as it was in the past,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim confirmed that hospitals had recorded an increase in haze-related cases as air quality deteriorated.
“As we all know, all the hospitals have naturally reported (an increase). If there is so much haze and there is no increase, it would be abnormal. With such bad haze, you cannot have no increase in cases,” he said.
Asked whether the Sarawak Government had discussed the possibility of declaring a haze emergency, Dr Sim said the matter should be referred to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
He explained that SDMC, chaired by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, would determine the appropriate response based on established standard operating procedures and the severity of the situation.
“I can only talk about the medical part. The SDMC will have certain standard operating procedures on what level triggers action, what needs to be activated and what needs to be placed on standby beforehand so everyone can work together,” he said.
