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Schools nationwide can be closed when Air Pollutant Index (API) readings exceed 200
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the Ministry of Education (MOE) has standing circulars on haze management, including guidelines issued in 2016, 2019, and 2023.
Wong said education authorities will regularly monitor haze conditions and API readings, while school administrators are responsible for deciding whether schools should remain open based on local conditions.
The ministry is continuously monitoring the haze situation through State Education Departments and District Education Offices to protect students' health and safety.
He was responding to questions about several areas nationwide recording unhealthy API readings this week.
Meanwhile, outdoor activities must be suspended when API exceeds 100
Wong said schools must suspend outdoor activities and gatherings when API readings exceed 100.
Outdoor sports events should also be postponed when readings reach that level.
"If API readings exceed 100, schools must suspend outdoor activities and gatherings. Outdoor sports events should also be postponed," he told reporters in Taiping today, 14 August.
This photo shows the Putra Mosque and Malaysia's Prime Minister's Office covered in haze in Putrajaya on 14 August, as authorities in Malaysia warned of high levels of air pollution from regional wildfires.
Image via Mohd Rasfan/AFP