KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (25 June 2004) -- Malaysia's tourism industry has endorsed a government decision to conceal information about air pollution. The decision continues a government coverup that started in 1997 when Malaysia classified the pollution index as an official state secret after a haze blanketed the country for months. The pollution index is a scientific measurement of air quality on a scale of zero to 300 with zero to 50 considered good, 51 to 100 moderate, 101 to 200 unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy and over 300 hazardous. Malaysia's opposition Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) has sharply critized the government ban and demanded that the air pollution index be made public to safeguard the health of both Malaysia's citizens and tourists. DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang said that while there is strong support for Malaysia's tourism sector, it is "sheer folly" for government and tourism industry officials to pretend in the information age they can mislead tourists around the world. Lim emphasized that government efforts to support Malaysia's economy cannot be "at the expense of the health and welfare of the citizens or those of the tourists themselves." | | Malaysia's tourism industry is second only to manufacturing as a foreign exchange earner. While the government attempted to justify its coverup of the air pollution index, it issued a smog alert to the shipping industry warning that visibility in the Straits of Malacca has been reduced to less than one kilometer. The government also warned all domestic fishing boat operators to stay near the coast and away from the open sea. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
