KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Schools in Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan will stay closed tomorrow, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek announced today, as haze continues to affect parts of the country.
Schools under nine district education offices (PPD) in Selangor, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak will also be shut. They are Hulu Langat and Sepang in Selangor; Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin in Pahang; Tawau in Sabah; and Serian, Sri Aman and Lubok Antu in Sarawak.
Today’s closures covered Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya, along with the Hulu Langat, Petaling Perdana, Kuala Langat and Sepang PPDs in Selangor and the Kuantan and Rompin PPDs in Pahang. Pekan and the Sabah and Sarawak districts were not on that list.
During the closure, all pupils, including those in hostels, will follow Home-Based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) so that learning continues, in line with the ministry’s directive.
Parents and guardians were urged to make sure their children take part in PdPR.
The extension comes even though air quality in the state has eased.
According to Department of Environment (DOE) data as of 10.40am today, Seremban's API fell from 167 yesterday afternoon to 154, while Nilai dropped from 164 to 151. Port Dickson, which logged 154 yesterday, was no longer in the unhealthy range. An API reading of 101 to 200 is classed as unhealthy.
Nationwide, 20 of the 68 monitoring stations recorded unhealthy readings this morning, down from 23 yesterday.
Johor remained the worst affected, with eight unhealthy stations. Pasir Gudang recorded the highest reading in the country at 181, up from 174, followed by Larkin at 176 and Sri Aman in Sarawak at 170. No station recorded very unhealthy or hazardous levels.
Health and education authorities have advised parents, high-risk groups and students with respiratory ailments to wear face masks outdoors and to follow API updates through official channels.
