Haze continues hitting Johor, Selangor, KL hard: API 177 in Pasir Gudang

KUALA LUMPUR -- Air quality worsened across Malaysia this morning due to an intensifying haze, with 27 monitoring stations reporting unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) levels. This is an increase from the 20 stations reported yesterday morning. Pasir Gudang in Johor recorded the highest API reading at 177, down slightly from 181 the previous morning.

Nilai in Negeri Sembilan saw a sharp rise from 151 to 174 overnight, while Klang and Johan Setia in Selangor were closely following at 173. Selangor accounted for five unhealthy stations, including Banting (160), Shah Alam (159), and Petaling Jaya (154). In Kuala Lumpur, Cheras logged 168 and Batu Muda stood at 164. Putrajaya's administrative center jumped into the unhealthy bracket at 165, up from 120 the previous morning, surpassing the 150-point threshold for localized school closures.

Johor had the highest concentration of polluted areas, with seven stations in the unhealthy band, including Pasir Gudang, Kota Tinggi, Larkin, Pengerang, Batu Pahat, Kluang, and Tangkak. In Negeri Sembilan, coastal Port Dickson again entered the unhealthy range at 165, while Seremban climbed to 160. All three monitoring stations in Melaka worsened overnight, with Bukit Rambai reaching 169, Bandaraya Melaka at 164, and Alor Gajah at 156.

On the East Coast, smoke pollution rose again in Terengganu, with Kemaman and Paka registering 156 and 155, respectively. In Pahang, Indera Mahkota in Kuantan and Rompin both recorded 155, while Sarawak's Serian hit an unhealthy level of 153. Sarawak's Sri Aman, however, showed significant improvement, dropping to 134, the lowest reading among the affected 27 stations.

Schools across Johor, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan remain closed, and targeted school shutdowns are in place in several districts across Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, Sarawak, and nationwide. Health and education authorities have advised high-risk groups and students with respiratory issues to wear protective face masks outdoors and monitor API updates through official Department of Environment portals.