38 of 68 stations were unhealthy at 9am on Thursday, led by Segamat at 187, and all eight Johor stations were unhealthy (Malay Mail). The Star’s 7pm update was headlined as a slight improvement with fewer unhealthy areas. The Air Pollutant Index sets 101-200 as unhealthy and above 200 as very unhealthy. None was in the very unhealthy band in the reports seen.
More than half of monitoring stations unhealthy is a national, not local, problem and puts schools and flights at risk.
Limit outdoor exercise, wear an N95 mask outside, keep windows closed and check the Department of Environment’s portal.
The evening easing shows readings can fall, and Education Ministry rules give clear thresholds.
Parents and health groups say rules based on API 200 are too lax for children.
The count dipping slightly is not a trend yet. Watch the Friday morning count.
Malay Mail, The Star, NST (8 Oct 2026)
Environment · HazePress ✓ 3 outlets · station counts per Malay Mail and The Star
Haze persists: 38 of 68 monitoring stations unhealthy on Thursday morning, with a slight easing by evening
Johor was worst hit, with every one of its eight stations in the unhealthy band and Segamat the highest in the country.
Thirty-eight of the country’s 68 air-quality stations recorded unhealthy readings at 9am on Thursday 8 October, led by Segamat in Johor at 187, Malay Mail reported from the Department of Environment’s portal. All eight monitored locations in Johor were unhealthy. The Star’s evening update at 7pm carried a headline saying there was a slight improvement, with fewer areas recording unhealthy readings, but DailyDrop did not see the count behind it.
The Air Pollutant Index treats 101 to 200 as unhealthy and above 200 as very unhealthy. Under the Education Ministry guidance reported in the coverage, outdoor activities should be suspended above 100 and schools in areas above 200 should close. None of the stations was in the very unhealthy band in the reports DailyDrop saw. The smoke comes from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan; the Star’s regional roundup said Jakarta was struggling to contain them.
Open story and DailyDrop view
By the numbers
38/68stations unhealthy at 9am (Malay Mail)
187Segamat’s 9am reading, the highest (Malay Mail)
8 of 8Johor stations unhealthy (Malay Mail, NST)
The FBM KLCI closed at 1,601.01, down 10.77 points or 0.67% (Bernama, Business Today, Malay Mail). An analyst said Brent rose more than 3% on US-Iran escalation fears. Foreign investors were net sellers for ten sessions. Apex said Brent December futures jumped past US03 overnight. The ringgit was quoted at 4.0890/0940 at Thursday’s close (Bernama).
Two sessions of falls took about 2% off the index before the Budget.
If you invest, the market looks nervous but not panicked. A long-term investor need not act on two sessions.
Analysts say the Budget could bring relief if it keeps fiscal discipline.
Others say high oil and foreign selling could continue whatever the Budget brings.
Today’s Budget and oil are the two drivers.
Bernama, Business Today, Malay Mail, The Star (8-9 Oct 2026)
Markets · MalaysiaPress ✓ 4 outlets · close per Bernama and Business Today
KLCI eases 10.77 points to 1,601.01 as oil and Budget jitters outweigh optimism
The FBM KLCI closed at 1,601.01 on Thursday, down 10.77 points or 0.67% from 1,611.78, Bernama reported, and Business Today and Malay Mail agreed on the figures. An analyst said Brent rose more than 3% on growing concerns over a possible escalation between the United States and Iran, and that foreign investors had been net sellers for ten consecutive sessions.
Apex Securities said Brent December futures jumped past US$103 overnight and expected the market to stay volatile, with Budget 2027 as the next key event, The Star and Business Today reported on Friday morning. Bernama quoted the ringgit at 4.0890/0940 to the dollar at Thursday’s close, according to its report on Friday. In two sessions the index has lost about 2% from Tuesday’s 1,633.35.
Open story and DailyDrop view
Word of the day
Net sellerMarketsAn investor group that sells more shares than it buys over a period. Ten days of net selling means money is leaving the market.