Air quality deteriorated across several parts of Malaysia on Sunday morning, with 35 areas across eight states and three Federal Territories recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 8am.
The situation was particularly severe in Sarawak, where Kuching recorded an API reading of 235 and Sri Aman 216, placing both locations in the very unhealthy category.
According to data from the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS), Sarawak had the highest number of locations with unhealthy air quality, with 10 areas affected.
Selangor followed with six locations, led by Johan Setia at 179, the highest reading in the state. Shah Alam registered 165, Banting 156, Petaling Jaya 155, Klang 154 and Kuala Selangor 153.
Johor recorded four areas with unhealthy readings, comprising Segamat at 160, Tangkak at 154, Batu Pahat at 153 and Kluang at 152.
In Negeri Sembilan, readings reached 167 in Nilai, 166 in Seremban and 153 in Port Dickson.
Three locations in Sabah were also at unhealthy levels, with Kimanis recording 167, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu 164 and Kota Kinabalu 161.
Pahang saw unhealthy readings in Jerantut at 166 and Temerloh at 162, while Alor Gajah and Bukit Rambai in Melaka both registered 157.
In Kuala Lumpur, Batu Muda and Cheras each recorded an API of 161, while Putrajaya registered 162 and Labuan 161. Paka in Terengganu recorded a comparatively lower but still unhealthy reading of 117.
Overall, another 20 locations recorded moderate air quality while eight were classified as good. No area recorded an API reading at the hazardous level as of 8am.
Under Malaysia’s API classification, readings between 101 and 200 are categorised as unhealthy, while readings between 201 and 300 are considered very unhealthy.
