KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s scheduled journey on a helicopter to Sematan, about 107 km from here, had to be done by road because of the haze.

He was scheduled to go to Sematan to attend the Launching Ceremony for Works on the Telok Melano-Sematan package of the Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak.

According to an officer of the Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Unit(UPAK) of the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department, the haze was too bad for any kind of travel on a helicopter.

Earlier, Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor had arrived at the Kuching International Airport at 2.20 pm.

Also onboard the flight was the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.

They were greeted by Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu and wife Puan Sri Empiang Jabu, Sarawak Federal Secretary Datuk Md Yahaya Basimin, representatives of Sarawak Barisan Nasional component parties, community and tribal leaders in the city.

Najib then continued on to Sematan by road which is a 90-minute journey.-Bernama