Ten Malaysian areas record unhealthy air quality readings

Air quality in Malaysia has deteriorated, with ten areas across the country recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings by 4 p.m. today.

Sarawak is experiencing the most significant impact, with seven of its regions falling into the unhealthy category. Serian recorded the highest API reading in the nation at 178, followed closely by Samarahan at 177 and Kuching at 174. Other affected areas in Sarawak include Sri Aman (162), Sarikei (157), Mukah (152), and Sibu (151).

In Peninsular Malaysia, three areas are also grappling with poor air quality. Johan Setia and Shah Alam in Selangor registered unhealthy API levels, as did Cheras in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, 56 areas reported moderate air quality, and only two areas had good readings.

The API categorizes air quality 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 collected from 68 air quality monitoring stations nationwide.

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Ten areas across the country recorded unhealthy API readings as of 4 p.m. today, according to the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS).