Serian haze worsens again as API reaches very unhealthy level Serian’s Air Pollutant Index (API) rose to 202 by 11am on Friday, pushing the district back into the very unhealthy range after rain brought lower readings earlier in the morning. The Natural Resources and Environment Board readings show Serian climbing from 197 at 9am to 202 two hours later. Lundu recorded the second-highest reading at 192, followed by Tebedu at 185, Kuching at 182 and Samarahan at 181. At 8am, Serian and Lundu were at 195 and 177, respectively. The later figures show that the morning improvement was not holding across all monitoring stations. For people in Kuching and nearby districts, conditions can change within hours. Check the latest API reading for the area you are heading to, and limit prolonged outdoor activity when readings remain unhealthy or worse.

Sarawak’s Flying Doctor Service has been temporarily suspended after Tuesday’s fatal helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Ulu Baram. The Health Ministry said the pause will allow authorities to investigate the crash and review the service’s safety and operating arrangements. The service reaches interior communities that have limited access to fixed healthcare facilities. Emergency medical evacuations will continue through cooperation between the ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department. The ministry is also discussing the possible use of Malaysian Armed Forces assets for patients who need urgent transport to healthcare facilities. The review will cover contracts, governance, operational safety, coverage and whether the current delivery model remains effective. The ministry said it is also looking at alternative ways to reach remote communities while the suspension is in place.

Search and rescue teams resumed looking on Thursday for a 51-year-old man who went missing in the Ulu Sebuloh forest in Song. Freddie Manggie entered the forest on Tuesday with his brother-in-law to collect daun sabung. After they finished gathering leaves, Freddie complained of stomach pain and walked away to find a place to relieve himself. He did not return. His family lodged a police report on Wednesday afternoon. Four longhouse residents searched the area that morning before Bomba, police, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force and local residents joined the operation later in the day. The initial search covered a 3km radius but produced no sign of Freddie. The site is reached by a forest road near SK Nanga Temalat, a journey of about three hours from the junction. The search was suspended at 6pm on Wednesday and resumed on Thursday; his whereabouts remained unconfirmed in the latest reports.

Sarawak Energy and SESCO have been told to investigate reports of sudden electricity bill increases and explain the findings publicly. The directive follows complaints from some customers after digital meters were installed. The utility companies are expected to compare account histories, billing records and meter readings before deciding whether any discrepancy occurred. Sarawak Energy said its billing-support arrangement, first opened at Wisma SESCO in Kuching from Sept 2 to 4, will continue through October and expand to Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. It said 22 cases raised on Facebook had been identified: 20 customers had been contacted, one case was being followed up and one customer could not be reached. Customers with concerns can request a review through Sarawak Energy’s existing customer-service channels and submit supporting information. The company also says flexible payment arrangements may be available while an account is being assessed. No public explanation has yet established whether the reported increases came from digital-meter readings, billing errors or other account factors. The next substantive update is expected from Sarawak Energy and SESCO.

Sarawak is expected to remain a major focus for infrastructure spending when Budget 2027 is tabled next month, with the Kuching Urban Transportation System among the projects analysts are watching. A TA Securities preview says the federal government could continue funding projects that narrow the development gap, including Pan Borneo Highway phases, rural roads and bridges, port and airport upgrades, flood mitigation, water treatment and electricity networks in East Malaysia. For Greater Kuching, the report singles out KUTS as a project that could receive continued support as it moves towards commercial operations. The next phase is expected to involve not just the autonomous trains, but also feeder buses, integrated ticketing, park-and-ride facilities and passenger information systems. That is an analyst forecast, not a confirmed allocation. The Finance Ministry’s pre-budget statement identifies regional development, infrastructure delivery and stronger economic resilience as priorities, but the actual projects and amounts will only be known when the budget is presented in Parliament on Oct 9. For Kuching commuters and businesses, the useful marker is whether the final document attaches firm funding and delivery milestones to KUTS and other transport links, rather than simply repeating broad development commitments.

A Bomba helicopter left Miri for the Long Lellang crash site at 11.06am on Wednesday after heavy rain delayed the operation. The flight to Long Lellang STOLport is expected to take about an hour. A police team that travelled by road overnight had reached the village by 11am and was expected to continue towards the site. The deployment follows Tuesday afternoon’s crash involving a Flying Doctor Service helicopter in Ulu Baram. DayakDaily reported earlier that 21 personnel from Bomba, police, Layang-Layang Aerospace and Malaysia Airports were being prepared in stages, with a forensic team due to follow the operations group. The condition and identities of those on board were still being confirmed in the latest reports, apart from one medical officer whose identity had been confirmed to her family. Sarawak police are expected to provide a further update at a press conference in Miri at 4pm.

Five people — a pilot, a doctor, a medical assistant and two nurses — were believed to be aboard a Flying Doctor Service helicopter that crashed while landing near Long Lellang in northern Sarawak on Tuesday afternoon. The Layang Layang Aerospace-operated BO105C came down near the Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airport at about 3.32pm, at the end of Runway 04, according to preliminary reports. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said it received notification from the Flight Information Service at 3.58pm. A later local report said personnel at the scene reported five casualties at about 4.50pm, but the condition of those on board had not been officially confirmed at press time. The names circulating in early reports also remained unconfirmed by the relevant authorities. The Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry will investigate the crash under Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016. Further updates from CAAM, rescue agencies and the investigation team are needed before the outcome is clear.

Temporary Sarawak Energy billing help desks are next headed to Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, with the rollout expected to run through October. The utility began with a counter at Wisma SESCO in Kuching from Sept 2 to 4. The travelling service is for customers who want staff to go through account records, bill amounts or meter readings face to face. Sarawak Energy said it traced 22 billing concerns raised on Facebook. Staff have contacted 20 users; one case is still being followed up, while another user could not be identified from the post. If a bill looks wrong, bring the account and bill details, plus the relevant meter information, when lodging an appeal. The company may discuss a payment arrangement after reviewing the case. Exact dates, hours and venues for the three cities have not yet been announced.

Lundu and Serian recorded hazardous air quality early Tuesday, as haze conditions worsened across Sarawak. Readings at 6am put Lundu at API 329 and Serian at 303. Kuching was at 241, with Samarahan at 239, Tebedu at 242, Sri Aman at 230 and Lubok Antu at 212 — all in the very unhealthy range. The latest figures mark a sharp deterioration from Monday: Lundu had been at 260 at noon, while Serian rose from 222 to 303. Other stations, including Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Betong, remained unhealthy. Kapit and Limbang were below 100, while Bario recorded 38. Air quality can change through the day, so people in affected areas should check the latest official API reading before planning prolonged outdoor activity, especially for children, older people and those with breathing problems.

Serian’s haze emergency is over, but air quality remains poor in parts of Sarawak. The Prime Minister’s Office said on Sept 7 that the King had consented to end the declaration after Serian’s latest API readings fell out of the hazardous range. The emergency was declared on Sept 4, when the index went above 500. That decision does not mark the end of the haze episode. Kota Samarahan recorded an API reading of 226 at 8am, and several other areas were still in the very unhealthy band. Conditions may shift with wind direction and hotspot activity. Residents in affected areas should keep outdoor time down and follow the latest instructions from the authorities while monitoring local API updates.

Serian remains under a haze emergency, with non-essential workplaces closed while authorities wait for the air pollutant index to fall below 500. The emergency was declared after the district’s API climbed above the very hazardous threshold. Essential services, including supermarkets, petrol stations, banks and security forces, are allowed to operate. Schools in 12 districts — including Kuching, Padawan, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan and Serian — are closed from Sept 7 to 11. Lessons continue through home-based teaching during the closure. The order is confined to Serian; it is not a movement-control order. The emergency will be lifted when the API drops below 500, so residents should check official air-quality updates before making plans or travelling into the affected area.

A state of emergency has been declared in Serian district after its Air Pollutant Index crossed 500, the threshold classified as very hazardous. Serian’s API first passed 500 on Friday morning and reached 515 at 5pm, according to the latest reported reading. Kuching was at 306, while Samarahan and Sri Aman recorded 292 and 241 respectively. The declaration covers Serian district, about 60km southeast of Kuching. The Prime Minister’s Department said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to the declaration after considering advice from the Prime Minister, Sarawak Premier and relevant agencies. Further measures will be taken to protect residents. The emergency status comes as smoke from fires in Indonesia continues to affect the region. School arrangements and other operating measures are being announced separately, so residents should follow the latest official notices rather than rely on an earlier API reading.

The proposed Sarawak–Singapore power link is still a negotiation: the cable route has not been settled and no construction date has been announced. Sarawak already exports electricity to West Kalimantan. Work to expand supply to Sabah and talks with Brunei sit within the Borneo grid, while a link towards the southern Philippines remains a possible later extension rather than an approved project. At a Kuching energy conference on Sept 3, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg said the Singapore talks were waiting on a decision about the cable corridor. Bilateral deals are moving first because ASEAN has yet to agree on a single framework for cross-border interconnections. Until there is a route decision and an agreed cross-border framework, the proposal is not ready to build. No commercial supply date was announced, and nothing in the update changes the current electricity supply to Kuching homes.

An RMAF C-130 took off from the Kuching air base on Sept 3 for Sarawak’s third cloud-seeding operation this year, turning an uncertain schedule into an actual mission. The three-day window runs through Sept 5. Crews are prioritising the Batang Ai, Murum and Bakun hydropower dams, then 13 water catchments across Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Kapit and Limbang. Seeding can only happen when suitable moisture-rich clouds form between about 5,000 and 7,000 feet. That condition remains the limit. Earlier forecasts had found clouds unsuitable and winds pushing them out to sea; even after take-off, not every target is guaranteed to be seeded or receive rain. Officials said reservoir levels were lower than usual but still under control. The mission is meant to replenish dams and catchments, with cleaner air as a possible benefit rather than a promised result. Its effect will have to be measured through subsequent rainfall, reservoir levels and API readings — the flight itself does not guarantee immediate rain for Kuching.

Fire crews faced water, access and communications problems at three separate forest and peatland fires in Daro and Simunjan, according to the latest updates issued between Aug 31 and Sept 2. On Pulau Bruit, the Kampung Kut fire covered about 7.5 hectares. By the latest report, crews had extinguished 2.5 hectares and still had roughly five hectares to tackle. A second fire at Kampung Penuai, reported on Sept 1, affected about three hectares and was being contained away from nearby roads and homes. In Simunjan, a peat fire at Kampung Lubok Punggor affected about 3.5 hectares. Two hectares had been put out by the evening of Sept 2. Work stopped at 6.30pm for safety and was due to resume on the remaining 1.5 hectares the next day. Strong winds and thick smoke made hotspots harder to reach, while some sites had poor road and radio access. No cause had been confirmed, and no later outcome for the two Daro fires was available in the reports checked.

Thirty per cent of work in major Sarawak government projects will be allocated to Bumiputera firms under a policy announced by Premier Abang Johari Tun Openg. Speaking at the Malaysian Malay Contractors Association’s Sarawak meeting in Kuching on Sept 2, Abang Johari said the arrangement follows a model used by Sarawak Energy. Bumiputera contractors may also partner with non-Bumiputera companies when larger jobs require more technical capacity. At the same event, PKMM Sarawak said 60 of 61 projects in a RM200 million allocation had been awarded through a ballot managed by DAL HCM Sdn Bhd. Those contracts range from RM100,000 to several million ringgit. The RM200 million is the package cited by the association, not the announced value of all future work covered by the wider policy. The state has also provided heavy machinery to PKMM, while the Construction Industry Development Board is training local crane operators. No new application window or full tender list was announced, so firms will still need to follow the procurement notices for individual projects.

Sarawak voters have until Sept 30 to inspect a proposed electoral map that adds 17 state seats, including seven in and around greater Kuching. The Election Commission put the recommendations on public display on Sept 1. If the review is approved, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly would expand from 82 to 99 seats. Ten existing state constituencies would be renamed, while the Igan parliamentary seat would become Batang Lassa. For the Kuching area, the proposed additions are Matang and Semarak under Petra Jaya, Pasir Pandak under Santubong, Tabuan Jaya under Bandar Kuching, Maong under Stampin, Samarindah under Kota Samarahan and Sungai Serin under Puncak Borneo. The plans may be inspected at the locations named in the EC notice and through the commission’s official website. A formal representation must come from the Sarawak government, an affected local authority, or a group of at least 100 registered electors from an affected constituency. Valid objections will proceed to a local inquiry. No voter’s constituency has changed yet. The names and boundaries remain proposals, and the new seats may miss the next state election if the review is not completed in time.

Clean-water aid has reached two dry-spell-hit communities: 84 families in Biawak, Lundu and another 10 in Lingga, Sri Aman. The 2026 Dry Season Clean Water Delivery Report dated Aug 31 records 670 cartons of 1.5-litre bottled water for 335 residents of Kampung Pasir Hilir. Rumah Perindu at Sungai Pisang received 80 cartons for 40 residents. Together, the deliveries covered 375 people in 94 families. Lower river levels are also reducing the raw water available at some treatment intakes. The Sarawak Social Welfare Department is coordinating bottled-water aid with the Rural Water Supply Department, which handles tanker deliveries. Communities relying on rainwater, gravity-fed systems or SAWAS supplies are especially exposed during a long dry spell. Households with disrupted supply have been asked to report through their divisional or district Disaster Management Committee. The number of residents, daily drinking-water needs and expected duration of the shortage are used to determine assistance.

Sarawak’s Sept 3–5 cloud-seeding window does not guarantee rain: the latest federal update found the available clouds unsuitable and moving out to sea. The update on Sept 2 said prevailing winds were pushing cloud groups towards the South China Sea. Seeding them would risk producing rain away from the areas facing haze and low water reserves, so any flight remains subject to MetMalaysia’s assessment. NADMA’s plan covers eight Sarawak dam areas — Batang Ai, Bakun, Murum, Bengoh, Gerugu, Assyakirin, Sika and Matang — with MetMalaysia and the Royal Malaysian Air Force involved in the operation. At 4pm on Sept 2, Serian and Kuching recorded hazardous API readings of 325 and 309 respectively, giving the proposed operation an immediate public-health context. There was no confirmation in the latest reports that a seeding flight had taken off or been completed. The operation may proceed within the planned window only if later cloud and wind conditions are suitable.

Work has begun on a RM2.1 million Sungai Kayan riverbank project in Kampung Krusen Kranji, eight months after heavy rain triggered a landslide that cut the village’s main access road. The Sept 2 site handover starts a 12-month construction period ending Sept 1, 2027. The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee is funding the job, while the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s Serian office is responsible for implementation and monitoring. The January landslide also damaged a suspension bridge at Kampung Krusen Siu. Authorities warned residents then not to use it; its RM900,000 replacement is still at final document-assessment stage and has no announced start date. Four smaller allocations have also been approved: RM150,000 for solar power in three Krusen villages, RM100,000 each for the Kampung Krusen Mawang community hall and village road, and RM280,000 for the Awah Gawai facility in Krusen Siu. Their schedules have not been announced.