KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Environment Department told Bikyamasr.com that the haze currently over the Klang Valley that residents awoke to last Friday could worsen, as it did over the weekend. “We are watching the situation closely and will be issuing warnings and advice to citizens in affected areas,” the department told Bikyamasr.com in a statement. It added that it was currently monitoring 7 areas where the haze has increased, including Selangor and the capital, Kuala Lumpur, which are reporting Air Pollutant Index (API) levels higher that could affect persons' health. The DOE classifies API readings of between 0 and 50 as Good, 51-100 as Moderate, 101-200 as Unhealthy, 201-300 as Very Unhealthy, and more than 301 as Hazardous. In the affected areas, the API is above 100, but still remains below 150. The government hopes the haze will leave the country in the near future, but experts and the department have no timetable expected for its departure. It was previously reported that the haze originated from peat and forest fires in Riau, the central Sumatran district of Indonesia, with the south-westerly wind blowing it across the Straits of Malacca. The Health Department issued an advisory late on Friday for affected members of the public to reduce their outdoor activities. “Be indoors all the time. If you have to be outside, do wear the right masks,” the department said in a statement.
