SELANGOR emerged as the state with the most areas affected by unhealthy air quality on Thursday, accounting for six of the 17 locations nationwide that recorded air pollution index (API) readings above 100 as at 7am.
Data from the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) showed Klang recorded an API of 157, followed by Johan Setia at 155, Petaling Jaya at 154, Shah Alam at 153 and Banting at 150, with another Selangor location also among the 17 affected areas.
Nilai in Negeri Sembilan and Bukit Rambai in Melaka recorded the highest readings nationwide at 162 each, followed by Seremban at 156.
Other locations with unhealthy air quality were Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (152), Port Dickson (152), Bandaraya Melaka (152), Tangkak (152), Cheras (148), Putrajaya (144), Alor Gajah (114), Pasir Gudang (112) and Kluang (105).
Under APIMS classifications, readings of 101 to 200 are considered unhealthy, while 51 to 100 indicate moderate air quality and 0 to 50 good air quality.
Johor recorded unhealthy readings in Tangkak, Pasir Gudang and Kluang, while Batu Pahat registered 99, just below the unhealthy threshold.
Another 48 monitoring stations recorded moderate air quality, with readings highest in Batu Pahat at 99, followed by Segamat and Paka in Terengganu at 96 each.
Larkin in Johor recorded 94, while Seri Manjung in Perak and Temerloh in Pahang registered 93 each.
Only three locations recorded good air quality: Politeknik Kota Kinabalu in Sabah at 50, Kimanis in Sabah at 38 and Limbang in Sarawak at 36.
Children, senior citizens and people with respiratory conditions are advised to reduce outdoor activities and take appropriate precautions while haze persists. - October 22, 2026