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FORTY areas across Malaysia recorded unhealthy air quality as of 8am on Wednesday, with Johan Setia in Selangor recording the country's highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 182.
Data from the Malaysia Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) showed that all 40 areas in the unhealthy category were in Peninsular Malaysia.
Other areas with elevated readings included Cheras in Kuala Lumpur at 179, Nilai in Negeri Sembilan at 178, Putrajaya at 176, Shah Alam in Selangor at 175, Seremban at 174 and Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur at 172.
A further 23 areas recorded moderate air quality, most of them in Sarawak, including Kuching at 75, Serian at 73, Samarahan at 70 and Sibu at 66.
In Sabah, moderate readings were recorded at Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic at 64, Keningau at 56 and Sandakan at 53.
Other areas with moderate air quality included Alor Setar and Larkin at 99, Pengerang at 98, Langkawi at 96, Kangar and Kota Bharu at 88.
Four areas in Sabah and Sarawak recorded good air quality: Sarikei at 47, Limbang at 46, Kota Kinabalu at 45 and the Miri Industrial Training Institute at 44.
The worsening air quality comes amid a sharp increase in hotspots in Kalimantan, raising the potential for transboundary haze if open burning in Indonesia continues.
Data from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre showed hotspots in Kalimantan increased from 301 on Sept 12 to 461 on Sept 13 before surging to 808 on Tuesday.
Over the same period, the centre recorded 87 hotspots in Sumatra, 15 in Sabah and Sarawak, and one in Peninsular Malaysia.
The sharp rise in Kalimantan hotspots over two days has heightened concerns over further haze affecting the region as fires continue in Indonesia. - September 16, 2026
