Minister announces two-day shutdown due to haze danger

Life goes on: Three people fishing near the Klang Royal Town Mosque even with the haze in Klang. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

ALOR SETAR: Close to 7,000 schools with almost four million students will be closed today and tomorrow because of the worsening air quality over the peninsula.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said schools in Peninsular Malaysia, except those in Kelantan, would be closed.

As for Kelantan, Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak, he said the ministry would monitor the air quality levels hourly before deciding on schools there.

“If the levels deteriorate in these four places, we will take the same steps,” he told reporters at SMK Seri Ampang in Jalan Kuala Kedah yesterday.

The directive affects 6,798 schools, which have a total enrolment of 3.7 million students and more than 300,000 teachers.

All teachers and school staff, with the exception of security guards, have also been told to stay at home.

“This matter must be addressed correctly and quickly as it can harm our children in school,” he said.

Mahdzir also said that schools ordered to close because of the haze need not replace classes.

He also announced that the Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3, Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia and Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia examinations would not be postponed because of the haze.

“These examinations will be postponed only if the Air Pollutant Index (API) levels breach 500 or ‘emergency’ level,” he said.

Mahdzir said state education departments and schools should make arrangements to supply face masks to students sitting for examinations.

Afternoon sessions of schools in Kedah, Terengganu and Johor continued as usual yesterday but some schools recorded a low turnout due to rumours over social media that classes had been cancelled.

The Education Ministry had closed 4,561 schools from nine states, involving 2,617,432 students as the API reading breached the unhealthy and very unhealthy levels between Sept 15 and 30.

The nine states were Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Pahang, Johor, Sarawak and Perak.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Selangor cancelled all classes because of the deteriorating air quality.

In a statement, it said the final examinations for diploma students would be carried out as scheduled, adding that staff were also required to attend work as normal.

“UiTM will continue to monitor the situation and keep the students notified from time to time.

“Announcement of any cancellation of classes will be made a day earlier,” it said.

As for the campuses in other states, it said their heads would make the announcement.

The last time a state of emergency was declared over the haze in the peninsula was on Aug 11, 2005, covering Kuala Selangor and Port Klang.

The API readings rose beyond the very hazardous level of more than 500 in the two areas.

Schools, government offices, businesses and the ports were closed but shops selling essential goods, supermarkets, clinics and pharmacies remained open.

The worst case of air pollution caused by the haze, however, occurred in September 1997. An emergency was declared in Kuching and eastern areas of Sarawak when the API reading reached the extremely hazardous level of 839.

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