BALIK Pulau in Penang, Seri Manjung in Perak and Kuala Selangor are the latest areas to record unhealthy air quality reading as at 7am today, said the Department of Environment.

This brings to 22 the number of areas recording unhealthy air quality because of the transboundary smoke from forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Rompin in Pahang is the only area in the peninsula that recorded very unhealthy air pollutant index (API) readings this morning at 230.

An API reading of 0-50 is good, 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy), and 300 and above (hazardous).

Readings in other places in the peninsula and in three places in Sarawak have also not seen major improvement.

Batu Muda (136) and Cheras (143) in Kuala Lumpur; Putrajaya (150); Petaling Jaya (135), Shah Alam (132), Klang (121), Johan Setia (158) and Banting (120) in Selangor; Port Dickson (111), Nilai (157) and Seremban (130) in Negri Sembilan; Bandaraya Melaka (102), Bukit Rambai (105) and Alor Gajah (110) in Malacca and Tangkak (132) in Johor.

In Sarawak, Sri Aman recorded an API of 170, Samarahan (140) and Kuching (158).

It was reported yesterday that Malaysia has offered to help Indonesia to put off the fire in the forest of Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Energy, Science, Technology and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the message was conveyed to Indonesian Minister Counsellor Agus Badrul Jamal and counsellor for information, social and cultural affairs Agung Cahaya Sumirat at the Indonesian embassy. 

“On the diplomatic front, we received updates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Zainal Abidin Bakar has met up with Indonesian senior officials yesterday to discuss the transboundary haze currently affecting Malaysia,” she said in a statement on Facebook.

The dry spell and southwest monsoon have further worsened the impact of transboundary smoke in Malaysia. 

Over the last week, the number of hot spots has multiplied in Malaysia while Kalimantan recorded 811 hot spots and Sumatra (247). 

The peninsula is affected by the smoke from Sumatra while Sarawak bears the brunt of smoke from Kalimantan.

The Sarawak Education Department also closed 62 secondary schools and 347 primary schools in the state since yesterday.

Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre in a statement last night said rainy conditions are forecast over the northern Asean region, with prevailing winds blowing from the southwest or west.

In the southern Asean region, it said, the weather is expected to remain generally dry and the prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the southeast or southwest. – September 11, 2019.