PETALING JAYA, Sept 28 — A Malaysian Meteorological Department senior meteorologist says the air pollutant index (API) will not breach the hazardous level of more than 300, adding the haze had reached its peak in the Klang Valley yesterday. 

Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said the situation gradually improved after the API hit 281 at 11am in Shah Alam yesterday and there was no reason for people to worry the reading would go past that. 

“The API does not necessarily reflect the real-time condition. It will not be worse than it was (yesterday),” he told Malay Mail, adding the API reading was on a 24-hour average. 

Hisham said although the situation was improving, the people should continue to take precautionary measures such as wearing the N95 surgical mask and avoid outdoor activities. 

An API reading of zero to 50 is categorised as healthy, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and 301 and above as hazardous

At 11am yesterday, five areas in the peninsula recorded very unhealthy readings. 

Highest API readings after Shah Alam were Batu Muda (256), followed by Port Klang (252), Petaling Jaya (232) and Putrajaya (206). 

By 6pm the reading had improved dramatically with Shah Alam at 177, Port Klang (179), Batu Muda (174), Petaling Jaya (161) and Putrajaya (159). 

The API has been getting some flak from the public with many asking when API readings became a 24-hour average when it used to be in real-time. 

Department of Environment director-general Datuk Halimah Hassan said API was never a spot reading or taken in real time. 

“It has always been recorded on a 24-hour average,” she said. 

She added it was based on five pollutant particles,  SO2, NO2, CO, O3 and PM10, and the API value was determined by the air pollutant with the highest concentration, which is PM10.

The Natural Resources and Environment ministry also said in a press statement yesterday the API readings updated periodically on the DOE’s website were accurate.

Visibility was measured over a short period by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the ministry explained.

“Referring to public complaints on the accuracy of the API readings on the Department of Environment’s website, we would like to inform the API readings are accurate and based on international protocols,” the statement read.

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