Johor air quality clears up, Serian lingers as Malaysia’s lone haze hotspot

A general view of the Putrajaya administrative city skyline is seen clearly as haze conditions improve on September 22, 2026. — Bernama pic

By Malay Mail

First Published: Monday, 28 Sep 2026 8:48 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Serian in Sarawak was the only location in Malaysia recording an unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) reading as of 8.30am today, according to the Department of Environment (DoE).

DoE surveillance data showed the monitoring station at IPD Serian logging an API reading of 152, placing it within the unhealthy threshold of 101 to 200. No other monitoring point in the country registered elevated pollution levels this morning.

The reading marks a slight deterioration from the 141 recorded in Serian at 4pm yesterday, when it was similarly the sole affected district in Sarawak.

In contrast, air quality across southern Peninsular Malaysia showed marked overnight improvement. Four industrial and urban hotspots in Johor that recorded unhealthy readings yesterday afternoon, namely Pasir Gudang (161), Kota Tinggi (159), Pengerang (158), and Larkin (152), all dropped off the department's unhealthy register by this morning.

As of late yesterday afternoon, 51 monitoring stations nationwide, including the federal capital Kuala Lumpur, recorded moderate air quality, while 12 stations logged good air quality levels.

Under standard DoE metrics, API readings between 0 and 50 are classified as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and 301 and above as hazardous.