King advises public to protect health amid rising haze levels
His Majesty said the situation could also affect health, particularly among children, the elderly and individuals with respiratory problems.
'The public is advised to take care of their health and monitor the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings from time to time. This is because the hot and dry weather can cause fires to spread rapidly,' His Majesty said in a statement uploaded to the Facebook page of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
His Majesty also decreed that the authorities intensify patrols and monitoring of any open burning activities that could affect the country's air quality.
The country is currently experiencing haze, believed to be caused by open burning following the detection of several hotspots in Sumatra, Indonesia, as reported by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
Department of Environment Director-General Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar was reported as saying today that 66 out of 68 air quality monitoring stations nationwide recorded moderate air quality levels as of 9 am.
He said the remaining two stations recorded good air quality readings. — Bernama
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