ON Sept 4, a state of emergency was declared across the Serian district in Sarawak after the Air Pollutant Index (API) there reached 515.
On the same day, Kuching recorded a hazardous reading of 306, while Samarahan and Sri Aman sat at 292 and 241 respectively, both in the very unhealthy band. These are not merely numbers.
The last haze emergency declared in Kuching was in September 1997, when the index hit 650, which means a whole generation born after that crisis is seeing for the first time just how bad this country’s air can get.
The cause is no mystery and it lies across the border. Thick haze has blanketed parts of Indonesia following fires that have destroyed vast areas of forest and peatland in Borneo and Sumatra over recent weeks.
This year’s fire season is reported to be the worst in 11 years, with a Super El Nino raising temperatures and deepening the drought, to the point that emissions from Indonesian fires now account for roughly one-third of all fire emissions worldwide.
Yet, this is not purely a natural disaster.
Nusantara Atlas founder David Gaveau has been blunt that El Nino does not start the fires but creates the dry conditions that allow human-caused fires to spread and grow large.
Kompas has reported a sharp rise in hotspots across Kalimantan since early August, more than half of them on oil palm plantation land.
Despite substantial firefighting efforts, including water-bombing flights and cloud seeding, peat fires remain difficult to extinguish because they can smoulder underground long after the surface appears to be clear.
The health toll has been mounting. In Indonesia, pollution-related respiratory cases more than doubled, from 50,891 on Sept 1 to 113,336 by Sept 9, while more than 12.5 million people across seven provinces were exposed to the smoke.
Malaysia is equally vulnerable. The fine PM2.5 particles in peat smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing particular risks to children, older adults, pregnant women, asthmatics and people with heart conditions.
For market traders, construction workers, delivery riders and farmers, the advice to stay indoors is not an option that exists.
The educational cost is also real, with the Sarawak State Education Department confirming the closure of 591 schools in late August, affecting more than 197,000 pupils. And every lost school day is a long-term cost that appears in no government ledger.
For tourism, the timing could hardly be worse. This is Visit Malaysia 2026, with a target of 26.1 million foreign tourists, projected domestic spending of RM97.6 billion and RM350 million allocated to boost tourism promotion and activities.
The start was encouraging, with Malaysia recording 21,118,039 international arrivals between January and June 2026, up 2.5% year-on-year, even as geopolitical tensions in West Asia forced the cancellation of 4,111 scheduled flights.
The industry has shown it can weather external shocks but haze strikes at its most vulnerable point.
Our strongest offerings are outdoor experiences, from diving at Sipadan and climbing Mount Kinabalu to exploring Sarawak’s national parks, relaxing on Langkawi’s islands and taking walking tours through George Town – all of which depend on favourable outdoor conditions.
When images of a grey Kuching sky circulate globally, travellers planning holidays months in advance are unlikely to distinguish between Serian and Melaka. They see a hazy Malaysia and book their holidays elsewhere.
Past episodes show the same pattern: hotel bookings fall, sporting events and business conferences are postponed over health concerns and outdoor activities are cancelled.
Small operators, least able to absorb the losses, bear the brunt. For boat operators, guides and homestay owners in Sarawak and Sabah, one ruined season can mean a difficult year.
Four measures are needed.
First, Malaysia must maintain firm but constructive diplomatic pressure. The Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution already exists but without effective enforcement, it remains more a declaration than deterrent.
Second, Malaysian companies holding land concessions in Indonesia must face transparent audits. We cannot point across the border while our own capital may be part of the chain of burning.
Third, Malaysia needs clear, automatic public health protocols – free N95 masks for at-risk groups, designated clean-air shelters in community halls and schools and binding guidance for employers on protecting outdoor workers when the air pollution index exceeds 200.
Finally, Tourism Malaysia needs an honest crisis communications strategy. Denial erodes credibility.
Publishing daily air quality readings by destination, encouraging flexible cancellation policies and shifting promotions towards indoor attractions – museums, gastronomy and cultural performances – during peak haze periods would be a more mature response.
The haze will eventually clear when the rain comes. The problem is that for too long we have relied on rain as our national policy.
Dr Mohd Zulfakar Mohd Nawi is a senior lecturer at the Department of Professional Education and Postgraduates, Faculty of Technical and Vocational Education, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com