Air quality in several parts of Peninsular Malaysia has reached unhealthy levels, according to 9am readings from the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS). Alor Gajah, Melaka recorded the highest API at 160, followed by Temerloh (156), Banting (155), Nilai (155), and other areas showing similar unhealthy readings.The haze is linked to forest and land fires in Indonesia, particularly in Riau province, where 586 hotspots have been detected. Indonesia has begun cloud seeding operations expected to last at least a week to combat the fires.Environmental authorities in Malaysia noted that haze and smoke drifting in from the west coast have worsened air quality, though no major fires have been reported locally.