KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Air quality was at an unhealthy level in nine areas in the country as of 7am, according to the Department of Environment (DOE).

The affected areas are Samarahan (126), Sibu (191) and Sri Aman (114) in Sarawak; Banting (137), Port Klang (135), Petaling Jaya (102); Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (123), Cheras (121) and Putrajaya (124).

Twenty other places recorded moderate air quality.

An air pollutant index (API) reading of between zero and 50 indicates good air quality; between 51 and 100, moderate; between 101 and 200, unhealthy; between 201 and 300, very unhealthy and over 301, hazardous.

Members of the public can refer to the DOE portal at http://www.doe.gov.my to find out the API reading for their areas. — Bernama