Haze: Schools to open as usual tomorrow except in Malacca and Johor

The Education Ministry in a statement today, however, reminded all state education departments, district education office nationwide to continue to monitor API information issued from time to time.

According to the statement, if the API reading changes to unhealthy conditions at a reading of 100-200 or very unhealthy at a reading of 201-300, the party concerned may take action at their respective levels.

Action can be taken based on the measures issued by the Education Ministry to ensure the health and the safety of school students residing in areas affected by the haze which were considered critical.

Yesterday, the Education Ministry announced schools in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang as well as in Sri Aman, Kuching, Betong and Samarahan in Sarawak and Tanjung Malim in Perak, were closed today due to the haze.

Until 3pm today, the API reading in the affected areas had dropped to a moderate level (51-100) except in Kuching and Samarahan which recorded an unhealthy API reading of 116 and 120.

Elsewhere, all schools in Johor and Melaka will be closed tomorrow due to the worsening haze, said the Ministry of Education.

MOE, in a statement today, said the closure of the schools in these States would affect 774,961 students from 1,492 schools.

The State Education Departments in Johor and Melaka had been instructed by MOE to convey the matter to the respective schools and parents immediately to avoid unnecessary problems.

The haze blanketing the country continues to worsen with the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings rising towards unhealthy and very unhealthy levels.