KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has ordered schools to close across several states and federal territories as hazardous haze, linked to forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia, pushed air pollution beyond safety thresholds.
The Education Ministry said all educational institutions under its jurisdiction in areas recording an Air Pollutant Index (API) above 180 must suspend physical classes immediately.
Where schools are shut
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said all schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya would close on Friday, October 9. In Pahang, the closure applies only to schools in the Rompin district.
Schools in Perlis, Perak, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan were initially expected to remain open, although Perak authorities later ordered immediate closures in Kinta Utara, Kinta Selatan and Kuala Kangsar after the Tasek Ipoh monitoring station recorded an API of 180.
Under the ministry’s new protocol, institutions must suspend physical classes when the API exceeds 180, based on official Department of Environment readings. Schools in areas where the API remains above 150 for three consecutive days must close from Monday, October 12.
Malaysia’s API scale classifies readings of 101 to 200 as “unhealthy,” 201 to 300 as “very unhealthy,” and 301 and above as “hazardous.”
The directive follows a decree by Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, who said student safety should take priority and advised school closures in areas exposed to prolonged haze, particularly where API readings remain between 150 and 180.
Affected schools have been instructed to activate home-based teaching and learning, known locally as PdPR. The ministry said schools must adapt arrangements to students’ access, capabilities and needs, while ensuring that teachers and support staff can work from home during closures.
The move does not amount to a nationwide shutdown: closures depend on local API readings, and authorities have been told to monitor air quality continuously and act when pollution exceeds the thresholds.
Air quality deteriorates
Air-quality data showed broad unhealthy readings across Peninsular Malaysia. As of 3 pm on October 8, 38 areas had recorded unhealthy API levels; Segamat in Johor recorded the highest reading at 190, followed by Seremban at 186 and Nilai at 185.
By Friday morning, seven monitoring stations had exceeded 180, with Seremban logging the country’s highest reading at 186. Later updates reported nine areas above the threshold, with Seremban at 189.
Cross-border haze
Officials linked the deterioration to smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia. Reuters reported that the haze had pushed air pollution to unhealthy levels across several Malaysian states and territories, prompting the government to suspend in-person classes. The measures mark a shift from earlier thresholds: Malaysia’s King had said schools should close when API readings reach 150 or above, particularly where such levels persist.
The ministry said will continue monitoring the situation through state education departments, district offices and schools. Parents are expected to receive advance notice of future closures to allow time to arrange childcare and support children’s learning at home.
The immediate priority remains limiting exposure for students and education workers while maintaining classes remotely during the haze emergency.
