Kota Kinabalu: Three air quality monitoring stations in Sabah recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at 5pm on Monday, with the Kota Kinabalu station registering 152, Politeknik Kota Kinabalu at 156, and Kimanis at 151.
Three other stations in the state recorded moderate air quality, namely Keningau at 84, Tawau at 81, and Sandakan at 76, according to the Sabah Department of Environment (DoE).
Sabah DoE Director Nor Rashidah Mohd Ghazali said the deterioration in air quality was caused by transboundary haze originating from forest and peatland fires in Kalimantan, which was blown across the Borneo region by prevailing winds.
She said patrols conducted by DoE officers alongside reports from the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department detected no major local fires across Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Papar, Beaufort, Sandakan, and Tawau, while regional satellite data similarly showed zero hotspots in the state.
The department reminded the public that open burning is strictly prohibited under Section 29A of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which carries a fine between RM25,000 and RM1 million, up to five years' imprisonment, or both upon conviction, as well as compounds of up to RM500,000.
