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KUCHING: The unpredictable nature of the haze makes decisions on outdoor events difficult, with Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah saying conditions can change dramatically from one day to the next.
The Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development said air quality could shift rapidly depending on wind direction, making it difficult to determine whether an outdoor event should proceed.
“I’m also quite in a dilemma when it comes to this, because things change by the day,” he said.
Abdul Karim cited the Malaysia Day celebrations in Kuching on September 16 as an example, saying conditions remained clear throughout the day before deteriorating the following day.
“One day you see everything is good. I can still remember on the 16th when we were celebrating Hari Malaysia in Kuching, suddenly the whole day was clear until night.
“We even can have the beautiful fireworks, but the next day it was really bad. I was surprised also. So it can be that way, it depends on how the wind direction is,” he said.
He said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) would play a key role in determining whether outdoor events could proceed during periods of poor air quality.
According to Abdul Karim, decisions would take into account indicators based on the Air Pollutant Index (API), which assesses air quality levels.
“They do have indicators based on the API index, whether the situation is healthy, unhealthy, hazardous, or very, very hazardous,” he told reporters at Plaza Merdeka here today after visiting several booths during a walkabout at the Kuching Marathon’s participant registration and goody bag collection.
He added that decisions would also involve event organisers and other relevant agencies, depending on prevailing conditions.
“So it depends on the organiser. It depends on the organiser as well as the other agencies and of course the indicators from SDMC whether anything should proceed or not,” he said.
His comments came as the 2026 Kuching Marathon was cancelled over concerns about the health and safety of runners and event personnel amid the haze.
In a statement, the Kuching Marathon Association (KMA) said the event, scheduled for Sunday (Sept. 27), was cancelled due to the prevailing haze affecting Kuching and surrounding areas.
The organiser said it had continuously monitored API readings and other environmental indicators since the haze began earlier this month, while consulting relevant authorities and medical advisers.
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