(Sept 3): The air quality at several areas in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are at unhealthy levels as at 9am this morning as smoke from more than 300 hotspots in Sumatera, Indonesia, continues to choke the region.

According to the Department of Environment website, the air pollutant index (API) at the Batu Muda station in Kuala Lumpur is 113 at 9am compared to 112 and 111 at 7am and 6am respectively.

API in the 0 to 50 range is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 100 to 200 is unhealthy; 200 to 300, very unhealthy; and above 300, hazardous.

In Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, the air quality has improved slightly with an API of 99, which puts it at the moderate level.

However, Banting, Port Klang and Shah Alam, in Selangor, are also recording unhealthy air quality with the API at 102, 109 and 108 respectively.

The air quality in Petaling Jaya has improved slightly with the API at 98 at 9am compared to 100 an hour ago while the air quality is moderate in Kuala Selangor.

Other areas in the country with unhealthy air quality at 9am are Nilai in Negri Sembilan; Seberang Jaya 2, Penang; Seri Manjung, SK Jalan Pegoh, Ipoh, and Kampung Air Putih in Taiping, all in Perak; Bakar Arang, in Sungai Petani, and Alor Star, Kedah; and Kangar, Perlis.

Doctors have advised city folk to avoid breathing in the nasty smoke particles in the air by staying indoors.

Former Malaysian Medical Association president Dr H. Krishna Kumar said children and senior citizens were more susceptible to respiratory illness in these hazy conditions.

"People who are sensitive to dust or who are asthmatic should avoid going outdoors. These include the very young and the very old.

“Babies cannot take the smoke because they cannot cough it out. Adults filter the air with their nostrils when they breathe, and they cough up anything that reaches the throat as sputum. But babies cannot do that,” said Dr Krishna, who specialises in obstetrics and gynaecology in Seremban General Hospital.

Schools in Penang have been told to cut down on outdoor activities if the smoky conditions worsened.

A circular from the Education Ministry released some time last week stated that all outdoor activities should be reduced or stopped if the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in the area went above 150, The Star Online reported.

According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, satellite imagery on Tuesday captured 380 hotspots in Sumatera, six in Peninsular Malaysia, and nine in Kalimantan. – The Malaysian Insider