A view of Putrajaya enveloped in haze on August 25, 2026. — Bernama pic By Malay Mail First Published: Wednesday, 26 Aug 2026 8:50 AM MYT KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Malaysia's air quality crisis showed no signs of abating this morning, with the Department of Environment's (DoE) MyEQMS portal recording 17 monitoring stations nationwide in the "Unhealthy" tier as at 8.45am today, as the prolonged haze episode stretched into another week.Sarawak and the Klang Valley once again registered the most severe pollution levels on the DoE's real-time index.Sri Aman recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading nationwide at 167, followed closely by IPD Serian at 166 and Samarahan at 162, cementing Sarawak's status as the epicentre of the current haze crisis.Elsewhere, Nilai in Negeri Sembilan matched Samarahan at 162, while Cheras in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya both posted readings of 159.Klang Valley smotheredSix stations across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya breached the unhealthy threshold as at 8.45am, reflecting the dense smog enveloping the greater Klang Valley conurbation.Shah Alam logged the highest level in Selangor at 158, matching readings in Johan Setia and Seremban in Negeri Sembilan. Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur registered 152, followed by Klang at 151, Banting at 144, and Petaling Jaya at 123.Across the wider peninsula, poor air quality expanded beyond traditional hotspots. Tangkak in Johor recorded an API of 153, Bukit Rambai in Melaka stood at 143, Alor Gajah registered 128, and Taiping in Perak reached 108.The persistent smog aligns with assessments from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, which attributes the widespread haze to prolonged dry spells linked to the El Niño phenomenon, suppressed rainfall, and rampant open burning both domestically and regionally.In Sarawak, environmental authorities identified transboundary smoke alongside local peat and forest fires as the primary drivers of worsening air quality, with several stations inching toward the "Very Unhealthy" threshold of 201 in recent days.Under national environmental standards, an API reading between 101 and 200 is officially classified as "Unhealthy".Health authorities advise the public to limit strenuous outdoor exertion, while high-risk groups, including young children, expectant mothers, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, should take added precautions and wear protective masks when outdoors.