Malaysia ready to declare emergency if air quality reaches hazardous levels

Federal minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said the government has contingency plans in place to respond swiftly if air pollution reaches critical thresholds. The preparedness comes as parts of Sarawak grapple with deteriorating air quality conditions. Only Serian is currently recording readings classified as hazardous, Kurup said in recent remarks. Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman are all experiencing very unhealthy pollution levels, though these remain below the hazardous classification. The API scale measures concentrations of major air pollutants, with readings above 300 considered unhealthy and those exceeding 400 deemed hazardous. An emergency declaration would likely trigger broader restrictions on activities and movement to protect public health. Authorities have not specified what emergency measures would be implemented, though such declarations typically involve stricter regulations on industrial operations and vehicular movement.