PUTRAJAYA: Schools across Malaysia were closed on Friday (Oct 9) due to worsening haze and deteriorating air quality in the country, with many areas recording unhealthy air quality levels.
The areas affected include the states of Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, as well as the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur and its administrative centre Putrajaya, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Schools in the Rompin district in the state of Pahang were also closed.
“I have asked all state education departments and district education offices to continue to monitor the haze situation and take immediate action if the situation requires it,” said Fadhlina.
The minister said she understood that the school closures would affect the parents’ daily routines and arrangements.
“Moving forward, we will ensure that any decision regarding school closures is announced in advance so that parents have sufficient time to make preparations,” she said.
Fadhlina added that the safety and health of the children, teachers and all members of the education community will remain the top priority.
Malaysia’s Air Pollutant Index (API) classifies air quality as “unhealthy” from 101 to 200, “very unhealthy” from 201 to 300, and “hazardous” above 300. On Friday morning, 37 areas recorded unhealthy API levels, according to government data.
