KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 17): The air quality in Sri Aman, Sarawak, worsened to the hazardous level today, with the Air Pollutant Index (API) at 367 at 9am.

According to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) portal, the API in Kuching was still recorded at the very unhealthy level of 220.

Johan Setia, Klang in Selangor also showed an API reading of a very unhealthy 233 as well as two places in Negeri Sembilan namely Nilai (203) and Port Dickson (212).

The API for 28 places nationwide was at unhealthy level, namely Sri Manjung, Perak (183), Batu Muda and Cheras here at 157 and 148 respectively as well as Putrajaya (181).

Selangor also experienced API at the unhealthy level in Petaling Jaya (161), Shah Alam (172), Klang (194), Banting (176) and Kuala Selangor (176); Melaka in Alor Gajah (180), Bukit Rambai (194) and  Bandaraya Melaka (169) as well as Seremban in Negeri Sembilan (176).

The other areas with unhealthy API reading were in Temerloh (137), Jerantut (112) Indera Mahkota, Kuantan in Pahang (119) as well as Segamat (148), Batu Pahat (113) and Kluang, Johor (110).

Eight areas in Sarawak also experienced unhealthy API readings, namely ILP Miri (106), Miri (126), Samalaju (123), Bintulu (129), Mukah (141), Sibu (168), Sarikei (149) and Samarahan (159).

Meanwhile, 32 areas nationwide recorded moderate API reading.

An API reading of zero to 50 indicates that the air quality is good; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and higher than 300, hazardous.