KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Air quality slipped further this afternoon, with 28 of the country's 68 monitoring stations recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 2pm, according to the Department of Environment (DOE).

The unhealthy tally rose from 27 this morning and 20 yesterday. Another 38 stations reported moderate air quality, while two recorded good levels.

Pasir Gudang in Johor logged the nation’s highest reading at 179, leading seven unhealthy stations in the state, including Pengerang (170), Kota Tinggi (168), and Larkin (166).

In the Klang Valley, Klang and peat fire hotspot Johan Setia tied at 175, while Cheras recorded 169, Putrajaya 166, Batu Muda 165, and both Shah Alam and Banting 162.

Elsewhere, Nilai in Negeri Sembilan held at 174, Port Dickson recorded 166, and Seremban stood at 161. All three Melaka stations were unhealthy, led by Bukit Rambai at 173.

On the east of the peninsula, Indera Mahkota in Pahang logged 156, alongside Kemaman (155) and Paka (153) in Terengganu.

In Sarawak, Sri Aman and IPD Serian eased to 126 and 125 respectively.

The persistent haze kept all schools closed today across Johor, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan, alongside nine education districts in Selangor, Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak.