Hazy Skies Across Malaysia, but Air Quality Remains in Moderate Zone

Malaysians woke up to a blanket of haze this morning, but air quality readings remain within the moderate range across most major cities, according to real-time data from AQICN.

As of Friday morning, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Kuala Lumpur hovered around 90, with PM2.5 levels measuring close to 30 µg/m³ — about six times above the World Health Organization’s annual safe limit, but still not deemed hazardous for the general population.

Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang, Johor Bahru, and Ipoh all recorded similar AQI readings in the 60s to high 70s, falling within the “Moderate” category. While the air is generally considered safe, health authorities advise sensitive groups — including children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions — to limit prolonged outdoor activities.

No official alerts have been issued, but residents are keeping a cautious eye on the skies as transboundary haze remains a seasonal concern.

For now, it’s business as usual — but with smoky hint in the air.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports 60 air quality monitoring stations across the country recorded moderate Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 11am today, according to the Environment Department’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) website.

It stated that eight monitoring stations registered good API readings, including Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic, Kota Kinabalu, and Kimanis in Sabah, the Miri Industrial Training Institute, Sri Aman, Kapit, Limbang in Sarawak, and Labuan.

No areas recorded unhealthy API readings.

API readings between 0 and 50 are categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), while 300 and above are hazardous.

The API data is released hourly, based on readings from 68 air quality monitoring stations across the country.