MIRI: The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) and Department of Environment (DoE) will be distributing face masks to schools and institutions of higher learning around Kuala Baram.
Six primary schools, two secondary schools, Curtin University Sarawak, Miri Industrial Training Institute, National Youth Training Institute (IKBN) Miri and Miri Community College will receive the face masks.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin disclosed that the distribution of the face masks was a precautionary measure despite signs of improvement in the air quality.
“A total of 20,000 face masks will be distributed in stages,” he said.
Lee said this when met at the closing ceremony of the second edition of the ‘Bon Festival 2019’ hosted by SM Sains Miri in Coco Cabana yesterday.
A total of 152 students from seven schools in Pahang, Putrajaya and Sabah took part in the two-day event which started on August 17 and ended yesterday.
‘Bon’ or ‘Orbon’ is a major Japanese cultural festival held every July or August. During the festival, people in Japan will get together to celebrate the festival.
In Miri, SM Sains Miri has been organising the event for two consecutive years which helps its students to have a better understanding of other cultures.
The school has also been offering Japanese language as an optional subject for its students to take.
Earlier in his opening speech, Lee lauded efforts made by the school in organising the event as it helped to foster global awareness and international collaboration which he believed would benefit the students.
Present were a representative from the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur Sato Osamu and SM Sains Miri principal Dzul Badzli.
