Malaysians Warned To Wear Face Masks - Globe & Mail

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Kuala Lumpur -- Malaysians have been advised to wear masks outdoors to protect themselves from thick haze blanketing several cities including the capital Kuala Lumpur, reports said yesterday.

"They are advised to wear masks, especially if they are prone to respiratory illnesses such as bronchial asthma, allergies and chronic lung disease," Health Department chief Ismail Merican told the New Straits Times.

Hundreds of fires in Indonesia's Riau and northern Sumatra provinces are blamed for causing the haze, along with more than 100 in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Malaysia's Sarawak state on Borneo island.

Kuala Lumpur and five surrounding areas were declared unhealthy Sunday, as were two areas in the neighbouring southern Negeri Sembilan state.

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