KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The number of areas in peninsular Malaysia recording unhealthy air quality has doubled overnight, based on readings from  the Environment Department’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS).

As of 9am today, eight locations recorded Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 100.

The worst hit was Alor Gajah in Melaka, with an API reading of 160.

The other seven areas with unhealthy air were listed as:

• Temerloh in Pahang (156)
• Banting in Selangor (155)
• Nilai in Negeri Sembilan (155)
• Kemaman in Terengganu (153)
• Johan Setia in Selangor (152)
• Cheras in Kuala Lumpur (151)
• Putrajaya (124)

An API reading between 0 and 50 indicates good air quality, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and above 300 is hazardous.

Moderate air quality was detected in 57 areas nationwide.

Environment Department director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar yesterday said the deterioration in air quality was “influenced by the movement of smoke and haze entering the west coast region of the country over the past 24 hours”, Bernama reported.

Neighbouring Indonesia has been battling forest and land fires believed to be the source of the haze for the past few days and is due to step up its efforts, beginning with cloud seeding in Riau today.

Data from Indonesia’s meteorology agency showed 1,208 fire hotspots across Sumatra as of Sunday, with 586 in Riau alone, news media reported.

A spokesman for Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency said the effort would continue for at least seven days.

But Indonesia is not the sole source of the fires and smoke. 

Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad has noted an increase in local forest and bush fires as well, crediting it to the hot weather and human activity.

“Natural combustion is unlikely in this weather, so it’s highly probable the fires were caused by human actions, even though no specific forensic investigation has been carried out,” he was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying yesterday.

One such fire in Kajang Prima on July 19 scorched 1.2 hectares and took 22 firefighters and four engines to bring it under control.

A separate bush fire was reported near Bukit Jalil earlier the same day.