Federal action needed to prevent haze from disrupting SEA Games 2027

Abdul Karim (centre) speaking during a press conference after a progress briefing on the upgrading and refurbishment works at Sarawak Stadium in Petra Jaya on Sept 17, 2026. Photo: Ukas

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 17: The federal government must take the lead in addressing the transboundary haze issue to prevent the phenomenon from recurring annually and potentially disrupting the smooth organisation of the SEA Games 2027 and other international sporting events in Sarawak.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the issue required negotiations and coordinated action at the Federal level, particularly with neighbouring countries, to ensure that haze originating from outside Sarawak did not continue to pose a recurring problem.

He said haze typically occurred around August and September, coinciding with the period when the SEA Games and other major sporting events will be held.

“Sarawak is only a State and cannot address this matter with neighbouring countries. It needs to be handled by the federal government.

“They need to negotiate at that level to resolve this issue, including asking the relevant parties to control the situation in their respective areas so that we do not continue to face this problem every year,” he said during a press conference after a progress briefing on the upgrading and refurbishment works at Sarawak Stadium in Petra Jaya today.

In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Abdul Karim said the intermittent haze experienced this year warranted attention, particularly with Sarawak preparing to host major sporting events.

He said the haze could become a challenge if it occurred during the staging of international events, potentially affecting their smooth organisation.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said the current haze situation had not affected the upgrading and refurbishment works at Sarawak Stadium as long as no emergency was declared.

He said the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Kuching had yet to reach a level requiring an emergency declaration, allowing work on the project to continue as usual.
“If an emergency is declared, then all works will be stopped. For now, I think everything is in good condition,” he added.

Abdul Karim said the situation had also allowed progress on the stadium project to remain on track, with most of the works currently ahead of schedule. — DayakDaily