JOHOR BARU, Sept 14 — The air quality in northern and central parts of Johor took a sharp hit today, forcing the authorities to close 211 schools in Muar and Tangkak, after the Air Pollutant Index (API) recorded very unhealthy levels.
More than 64,000 primary and secondary school students are affected by the closure tomorrow as Johor observes Sunday as the first day of the week, where Fridays and Saturdays are official weekends.
Johor Education Department director Azman Adnan said the Education Ministry has stated that if the API reading was more than 200, then all schools in the area or district should be closed immediately.
“Based on today’s API readings, which recorded an increase, the school session in the two districts will be closed tomorrow (Sunday) based on the ministry’s circular on the National Haze Action Plan as well as discussions with the state Department of Environment (DoE), as well as the Muar and Tangkak district offices.
“However, principals, headmasters and teachers must be present at schools and perform their duties in line with the ministry’s guidelines on managing lesson during a disaster,” said Azman in a statement here today.
Azman added that the status of the schools reopening would be determined based upon the monitoring of air quality.
Meanwhile, the Johor government has opened up a mobile centre in Tangkak following the API reaching very unhealthy levels in the district.
Johor Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar said having this centre will help the authorities in monitoring the haze situation closely.
“For areas that recorded very unhealthy levels in the API, the state government will provide face masks for free at health clinics,” he said.
Mohd Khuzzan urged the public to obtain the free masks to safeguard their health from any illness related to the haze.
A check on the API readings on the DoE’s website showed a general increase of API levels in Johor.
As of 6pm, the Tangkak district was the worst hit with an API reading of 205, followed by Segamat (137), Larkin (132), Kluang (126), Batu Pahat (125), Pasir Gudang (91), Kota Tinggi (73), and Pengerang (73).
An API reading of zero to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and
