The current haze situation is expected to continue until early 2027 due to prolonged hot and dry weather resulting from the El Nino phenomenon, Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Arthur Joseph Kurup said.
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El Nino is expected to strengthen into a Super El Nino phase from October 2026 to January 2027, with its impacts continuing until June, while the concurrent southwest monsoon will cause lower rainfall and hotter, drier conditions.
"The prolonged dry conditions will increase the risk of open fires, especially in fire-prone areas," the minister said, adding that the current prolonged haze exceeds previous episodes that lasted for one to two months.
Arthur also said that Malaysia will assist Indonesia in combating forest and land fires, including providing aerial firefighting capabilities, adding that Malaysia has offered water bombing operations using helicopters, firefighting support using amphibious aircraft, and cloud seeding operations.
"The form and scope of assistance will be detailed together with the Indonesian government based on the needs and suitability of the situation on the ground, subject to agreement between agencies of both countries," he said.
Meanwhile, several areas in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, located in the northern part of Borneo, recorded unhealthy pollution levels on Tuesday, with Sibu district recording an Air Pollutant Index. Other areas, including Sri Aman and Mukah, recorded a reading of 172.
According to the country's air quality rating scale, an API reading between zero and 50 is categorized as "good," 51 to 100 as "moderate," 101 to 200 as "unhealthy," 201 to 300 as "very unhealthy," and 301 and above as "hazardous."
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