Malaysia closes schools across four states and federal territories as haze worsens

Malaysia closed schools in four states, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Rompin district in Pahang on Friday, October 9, after worsening haze pushed air quality to unhealthy levels. The closures disrupted classes and parents’ plans, while the education ministry directed affected schools to arrange learning from home.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the statewide closures covered Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya were also covered, along with Rompin district in Pahang. Her announcement said schools in other states would operate as usual; it did not close every school in Pahang.

How schools and families are affected

Bernama reported that affected institutions were required to provide home-based teaching and learning while taking account of students’ access and needs and teachers’ readiness. Teachers and support staff were allowed to work from home during the closures. Those arrangements establish the ministry’s plan, but the available reports do not show how consistently pupils could take part.

Fadhlina acknowledged that the announcement disrupted parents’ daily routines. She said future closure decisions would be announced earlier so families had more time to prepare, and asked state and district education offices to keep monitoring conditions and act when necessary. Parents were advised to follow announcements from their schools and education offices.

What Malaysia’s air-quality readings show

CNA reported that 37 areas had unhealthy readings on Friday morning, citing government data. Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index, or API, classifies readings from 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and above 300 as hazardous. A reading describes conditions at a monitoring location; it does not by itself establish a health outcome for a particular student.

The previous afternoon, the Department of Environment said 38 areas in Peninsular Malaysia had unhealthy readings, according to Bernama. Its highest reported figure at 3 p.m. Thursday was 190 in Segamat, Johor. Seremban recorded 186 and Nilai 185, both in Negeri Sembilan. The Thursday and Friday counts refer to different measurement times and should be read as separate snapshots.

Bernama said education departments cited local monitoring in decisions for Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. The department in Melaka referred to readings above 150 in key areas, while Kuala Lumpur’s decision used readings from Cheras and Batu Muda stations. The reported basis for each closure therefore includes local measurements as well as the wider haze conditions.

The thresholds cover different measures. CNA reported that education institutions must close if API exceeds 180 or remains above 150 for three consecutive days. Separately, the Department of Environment said the National Haze Action Plan calls for suspending outdoor school activities when API exceeds 100. It also described disaster-management and cloud-seeding action when readings exceed 150 for more than 24 hours.

Cross-border haze and the regional response

The Department of Environment described cross-border haze affecting parts of the region and, citing the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre, reported 210 hotspots in Sumatra and 94 in Kalimantan, Indonesia, plus one in Pahang. Those hotspot counts and the department’s description do not identify who started any individual fire. AFP reported that smoke from fires in Indonesia had affected Malaysian cities.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had discussed the fires with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and asked Malaysia’s foreign minister to pursue an ASEAN ministerial meeting on haze, AFP and CNA reported. CNA also reported that National Sports Day events scheduled for Saturday were postponed in seven states and federal territories, with replacement dates dependent on air quality becoming safe for outdoor activity.

Air-quality figures from independent platforms may differ from the official API. The Department of Environment said scales, calculations, thresholds and data sources can vary, and directed the public to its APIMS system for official readings and health advisories. The reports do not establish a nationwide number of students affected, a common reopening date for all closed schools or when the haze will clear.