Air quality in Kuching among the world's worst

The haze in Kuching has resulted in Malaysia being ranked among the top 10 countries with the world’s worst air pollution index, according to the non-profit World Air Quality Index (Waqi).

Based on Waqi's list of cities with the worst air pollution index, Malaysia currently ranks number four as at 11am today due to API reading in Kuching of 272.

It was reported that Malaysia was listed as having the city with the top highest API reading earlier this morning, before dropping to fourth. 

An API reading of 0-50 is deemed good, 51-100 (moderate), 101-150 (unhealthy for sensitive groups), 150-200 (unhealthy), 201 - 300 (very unhealthy) and anything above 300 is deemed hazardous.

This is believed to be due to the unabating haze situation, largely from dense smoke blown in by forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia.

According to Waqi report, Indonesia ranks number two as of 11am with API reading of 442 in Simpang. Australia currently ranks first with Whyalla recording a high 592.

Singapore, which has also been affected by the transboundary haze, is only listed at 43rd place with API of 82.

According to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), wind patterns indicate smoke is still being blown towards Peninsular Malaysia from Sumatra and into Sabah and Sarawak from Kalimantan.

Yesterday saw a sharp rise in the number of hotspots compared to Tuesday, with 465 hotspots in Kalimantan, 113 in Sumatra, 11 in Sabah and Sarawak. There was no hotspot indicated in Peninsular Malaysia.

‘Very unhealthy’ air quality

Meanwhile, according to the Environment Department’s API readings, six areas have recorded very unhealthy air quality, as at 11am.

They are - Mukah (207), Sibu (244), Sarikei (236) , Sri Aman (212), Samarahan (226) and Kuching (271) in Sarawak.

Jakarta has implicated several Malaysian-linked palm oil companies in some forest fires there.

These are among 30 companies whose operations have been sealed by Indonesian authorities. Indonesia has said among the 30, it had also filed criminal charges against four over the forest fires.

The matter is being probed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and its certification bodies. 

The Malaysian companies implicated are IOI Corporation, Sime Darby Plantation, TDM Bhd and Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Bhd.

Of these, Sime Darby and IOI have denied that their subsidiaries’ plantations had been sealed, while KLK admitted that a fire had broken out at one of its Indonesian subsidiaries’ plantations, but that it had since been put out.