KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — National air quality continued to improve this morning with almost all areas in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak recording Air Pollutant Index (API) readings of below 100 or moderate.
Based on the latest API reading of the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) at 8am today, 67 areas recorded moderate air quality, including Sri Aman, Sarawak which previously recorded API readings that exceeded 400 (dangerous) on Friday.
Johan Setia Klang, Selangor which did not show any change in air quality since yesterday, emerged as the only area with unhealthy API at 153 this morning, while Putrajaya; Klang, Selangor and Tasek Ipoh and Seri Manjung, Perak now recorded moderate API compared to unhealthy level, last night.
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is categorised as good, 51 up to 100 (moderate), 101 up to 200 (unhealthy), 201 up to 300 (very unhealthy) while 300 and above is hazardous.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department earlier predicted the haze that hit the country for the past two weeks would improve following the Inter Monsoon phase beginning Sept 24.
Meanwhile, some Malaysian students in Pekanbaru and Jambi,Indonesia are scheduled to be evacuated from the region today following the announcement of an emergency in Riau due to the haze.
According to a statement from the National Agency for Disaster Management (NADMA) yesterday, a total of 160 students would be brought home to Malaysia this morning, while 120 would be evacuated to the Malaysia Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia, at 6pm today. — Bernama
