Samarahan in Sarawak recorded a very unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) ranging from 214 to 226 by early morning September 7, 2026, marking the worst air quality in the nation at that time [1, 2, 3, 4]. This made it the only area with such severe air pollution, while 40 other locations nationwide reported unhealthy API readings above 100 [2, 3, 4].
As of 5 p.m. on September 6, 35 monitoring stations measured unhealthy or very unhealthy air, with Sri Aman reporting the highest API of 214 at that hour [1]. However, by 7 a.m. the next day, Samarahan’s API was recorded at 222, surpassing Sri Aman according to some sources [2, 4]. Another source reported Samarahan’s API reached 226 as of 8 a.m. September 7 [3].
Sarawak was the most affected state, with 11 locations registering unhealthy API values between 149 and 194 [2, 3, 4]. Other regions reporting unhealthy air included the Klang Valley and Selangor, where areas such as Johan Setia, Shah Alam, Putrajaya, Batu Muda, and Cheras had API readings mostly between 158 and 184 [2, 3, 4].
Additional states with unhealthy air quality readings between 107 and 166 included Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Perak, Pahang, Johor, and Sabah [2, 3, 4]. No locations registered hazardous air quality levels, defined as an API above 300, as of September 7 [1, 2, 3].
API values are categorized as good (0-50), moderate (51-100), unhealthy (101-200), very unhealthy (201-300), and hazardous (above 300) [1, 2, 4]. Besides the 40 areas with unhealthy air, 24 areas recorded moderate air quality and 2 had good air quality [2, 3, 4].
Authorities continue to monitor the air quality situation closely, with the latest data from 8 a.m. September 7 serving as the most up-to-date nationwide reading.
