10 Areas Nationwide Record Unhealthy Air Quality

Air quality in Malaysia has deteriorated, with 10 areas nationwide recording unhealthy levels as of 10 a.m. today. The majority of these affected locations are situated in Sarawak, a state on the island of Borneo.

Serian, Sarawak, registered the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 183, indicating unhealthy air. Kuching and Samarahan, also in Sarawak, followed closely with API readings of 171 each. Other Sarawakian areas experiencing unhealthy air include Sri Aman (163), Sarikei (158), Mukah (152), and Bintulu (147).

In Peninsular Malaysia, three areas reported unhealthy air quality: Cheras (API 153) and Johan Setia (API 150) in the Klang Valley, and Shah Alam (API 103). Meanwhile, 56 areas across the country recorded moderate air quality (API between 51 and 100). Only two areas reported good air quality (API below 50).

The API readings are categorized as follows: 0-50 is good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 is very unhealthy, and above 300 is hazardous. These hourly readings are based on data collected from 68 air quality monitoring stations nationwide.