Haze: Ministry Monitors Weather At Tourist Areas

PUTRAJAYA, March 19 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is closely following the current weather conditions in tourist attraction areas such as in Banting, Selangor and Rompin, Pahang which have all recorded unhealthy air quality, said its Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi. “I suggest that the public and tourists get the latest information on the haze on the air pollutant index website at http://apims.doe.gov.my.,” he said in a statement Monday. According to the Air Pollutant Index (API) until 3 pm Monday, Banting recorded a reading of 104 while Rompin recorded 176. An API reading of between 0 and 50 indicates good air quality, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 and 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy) and 300 and above (hazardous). Mohamaddin urged tour operators to warn tourists on the current situation and help distribute face masks if necessary. -- BERNAMA