KUALA LUMPUR — Air quality across Malaysia showed modest improvement this morning, with 20 of the country's 68 monitoring stations recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 10.40am, down from 23 stations reported yesterday afternoon.

According to Department of Environment (DOE) surveillance data, 44 stations recorded moderate air quality, four registered good levels, and none breached the very unhealthy or hazardous thresholds. Readings between 101 and 200 fall within the unhealthy classification.

Johor continued to bear the brunt of the transboundary smoke, accounting for eight of the nation's unhealthy monitoring stations.

Pasir Gudang logged the highest reading nationwide at 181, climbing from 174 yesterday afternoon. Larkin saw a steep surge, rising from 160 to 176, while Kota Tinggi held steady at 169 and Pengerang remained at 166. Batu Pahat rose to 162, Kluang stood at 153, Tangkak recorded 151, and Segamat re-entered the unhealthy register at 138.

In Sarawak, Sri Aman posted the third-highest reading nationally at 170, up from 153 yesterday. IPD Serian held relatively stable at 154, while Samarahan improved significantly, dropping from 148 to 108 to hover just inside the unhealthy band. In Sabah, Tawau recorded an elevated reading of 155, up from 149.