Areas with unhealthy air quality fall to 16 nationwide

As of 9am today, the number of areas with unhealthy air quality in Malaysia has decreased to 16 nationwide, a significant drop from 30 at the same time yesterday. According to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System portal, these areas were spread across five states and two federal territories. The highest API reading recorded was in Sri Aman, Sarawak, with a reading of 166, followed by Serian (164) and Samarahan (162).

In Selangor, Shah Alam and Johan Setia both recorded an API of 157, while Petaling Jaya had the lowest reading of the majority of the unhealthy areas at 109. Negeri Sembilan had two unhealthy readings, with Nilai at 162 and Seremban at 157. Kuala Lumpur recorded an API of 159 in Cheras, while Batu Muda had a reading of 152. Putrajaya recorded an API of 158.

In Johor, Tangkak recorded a reading of 153, and in Melaka, Bukit Rambai and Alor Gajah recorded 123 and 110 respectively. Fifty areas nationwide experienced moderate air quality. An API reading ranging from 0 to 50 indicates good air quality, 51 to 100 signifies moderate; 101 to 200 denotes unhealthy; 201 to 300 represents very unhealthy; and anything above 300 is classified as hazardous.

The environment department continues to monitor the country's ambient air quality through 68 monitoring stations, keeping a close eye on any significant changes that could potentially impact public health.