Brief
Malaysia closes schools in Kuala Lumpur as haze reaches unhealthy levels
Schools in the capital and four states were closed after air‑pollution readings hit unhealthy levels amid haze from Indonesian fires.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia closed schools in the capital and four other states on Friday, Oct 9, after haze from fires in Indonesia drove the Air Pollutant Index to about 170, an unhealthy level, Gulf News reported.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek ordered full closures in four states and two federal territories and a partial closure in central Pahang. She said future closures will be announced earlier to give parents more preparation time.
King Sultan Ibrahim said schools should be shut when API readings exceed 150. The capital recorded a reading of roughly 170 on Friday, making it the world’s second‑most polluted city behind Singapore, according to Swiss‑based monitor IQAir.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told Gulf News he discussed the haze with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and asked Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan to seek an urgent ASEAN meeting of environment ministers. Anwar added Malaysia is increasing cloud‑seeding efforts to trigger rain.
Key facts
- Schools in Kuala Lumpur and four other states were closed on Oct 9 due to haze (gulfnews.com)
- Air Pollutant Index in Kuala Lumpur was around 170, classified as unhealthy (gulfnews.com)
- Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek ordered the closures and pledged earlier notice for future actions (gulfnews.com)
- King Sultan Ibrahim said closures are warranted when API exceeds 150 (gulfnews.com)
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discussed the haze with Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and sought an ASEAN meeting (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com — originally reported as “Malaysia Shuts Schools Amid Toxic Haze from Indonesian Fires”
