Malaysians advised to stay indoors as haze blankets skies

Jul 12, 2011, 5:10 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's department of environment on Tuesday urged the public to refrain from 'unnecessary outdoor activities' as dusty haze chocked most parts of the country.

The haze was caused by smoke from more than 500 hotspots in Borneo, and made worse by the current dry spell. Hotspots are satellite images of areas with open-burning activities, usually fires set by farmers before planting crops.

The air pollutant index at 42 out of 51 areas nationwide was recorded as 'moderate,' although at least 10 areas were veering towards unhealthy air levels.

Index readings from 0 to 50 are considered healthy, while 50-100 denotes moderate air quality with unhealthy levels from 100 to 200. Readings between 201 and 300 are considered very unhealthy while readings of more than 301 are termed hazardous.

A spokesman from the department of environment said members of the public, especially those with health problems and asthma, should try to remain indoors until the air quality improves.