In Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy, API readings above 300 are deemed hazardous and the 500 mark serves as the legal threshold for emergency powers. The king may declare a state of emergency when a serious threat to public health, safety, security or the economy is identified, but he acts only on the advice of the prime minister and relevant ministers.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg advised King Sultan Ibrahim, who then consented to declare a state of emergency covering the Serian District – an area roughly 20 kilometres in radius.

The declaration does not shut down essential services; supermarkets, petrol stations and banks remain open, while authorities have also launched cloud‑seeding operations to try to disperse the haze.

This process shows how Malaysia translates air‑quality data into legal action, using the API threshold as a trigger and the monarch’s constitutional authority to protect public health during severe haze events.