PETALING JAYA: Air quality in several parts of Peninsular Malaysia remains concerning, with the Department of Environment (DOE) website reporting unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in multiple locations as of 11 am on Sunday (July 20).
Nilai in Negri Sembilan recorded the highest API at 160, placing it firmly in the "unhealthy" category.
This was followed by Banting in Selangor, with an API of 153, also categorised as unhealthy.
Putrajaya recorded an API of 111, while Temerloh in Pahang posted a reading of 104.
Both areas fall within the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category, indicating that individuals with respiratory issues, the elderly, and young children may face adverse effects.
In the Klang Valley and surrounding areas, air quality remained moderate.
Kuala Lumpur recorded an API of 96, followed by Alor Gajah in Melaka at 94.
Port Dickson and Seremban, both in Negri Sembilan, recorded readings of 92 and 91, respectively.
Bukit Rambai and Bandaraya Melaka followed closely with API readings of 89 and 88.
Over in East Malaysia, air quality remained moderate as well.
In Sabah, Kota Kinabalu recorded an API of 59, while Keningau posted 58.
In Sarawak, Miri recorded a reading of 62, Bintulu 61, and Kuching 55.
According to the DOE, an API reading of 0–50 is considered "good", 51–100 is "moderate", 101–200 is "unhealthy", 201–300 is "very unhealthy", and anything above 300 is categorised as "hazardous".
