KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Schools in Sarawak have been ordered to immediately halt all outdoor activities involving pupils in areas where the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading exceeds 100.

Sarawak Education Department director Omar Mahli said district education offices and educational institutions under the department had been reminded to prioritise the welfare, health and safety of pupils amid hot weather and haze, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

He said schools should postpone all outdoor activities if the weather was excessively hot and monitor activities that could expose pupils to such conditions to prevent their health from being affected.

“For areas recording API readings above 100, all outdoor activities involving pupils must be stopped,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Education Department School Management Sector deputy director Dr Les Anak Met stressed the need for continuous monitoring of API readings in respective areas, as well as the management of outdoor and co-curricular activities according to API levels and current directives from the authorities.

He said the health and safety of pupils and school staff should also be prioritised, particularly those with health conditions such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

“Schools are also reminded to ensure clear and effective communication with parents, while district education offices must continuously monitor schools under their supervision and provide updates to the Sarawak Education Department,” he said.

All district education offices and schools have also been urged to remain vigilant about haze conditions in their respective areas, comply with authorities’ directives and take proactive action based on the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, the 53rd Sarawak Schools Sports Council (MSSS) Athletics Championship 2026, scheduled from August 10 to 14 at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Stadium, has been postponed due to unhealthy API readings in Samarahan.

As of 2pm today, 11 areas in Sarawak recorded unhealthy API readings, with the Serian IPD air quality monitoring station recording the highest reading at 190.

According to information on the Department of Environment’s (DOE) Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) website, 10 other monitoring stations also recorded unhealthy readings, including Samarahan at 169, Kuching (165), Bintulu (159), Samalaju (155) and Mukah (154).

Sibu recorded an API reading of 154, Sri Aman (154), Sarikei (153), Miri (146) and the Industrial Training Institute (ILP) Miri (123), with all readings falling within the unhealthy category of between 101 and 200.