KUCHING, Sept 5 2026: The cross-border haze from Kalimantan haze has begun affecting Sarawak’s tourism sector, with a slight decline in tourist arrivals recorded in recent weeks, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said today, saying that it could result in tourists from outside the state to alter their travel plans to Sarawak, particularly to Kuching.
“As such, we have indeed seen a slight decline in tourist arrivals recently.
“I expect this situation to continue until the haze problem is resolved,” he said during a press conference held in conjunction with the 2026 National-level Malaysia Day Celebration at a leading hotel here on Saturday.
Karim also expressed concern that several major events might have to be postponed, including the Borderland Music Festival at Sarawak Cultural Village on Sept 11 and 12, as well as the Jom Heboh Sarawak Segulai Sejalai Carnival scheduled to take place at the end of this month.
He advised event organisers to closely follow developments and the views of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC ) before proceeding with their events, particularly those held outdoors.
He said organisers must consider the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings before deciding whether to proceed, postpone or cancel any event.
According to him, indoor events could still be considered for continuation, but large-scale outdoor events should be reassessed if API readings reach high levels.
“Do not proceed blindly because the health of the people is also very important in any outdoor event that we organise.
'If an event is held indoors, I believe it can proceed. However, for any large-scale outdoor event, if the API reading is relatively high, organisers should first consider whether to postpone it to another date or cancel it altogether,” he said.
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