KOTA KINABALU: The Education Ministry should adopt a more flexible approach when deciding whether schools should remain open during haze episodes instead of relying too heavily on fixed Air Pollutant Index (API) thresholds, says Likas assemblyman Tham Yun Fook.
The former senior educationist said students’ health should take precedence over concerns about losing school days.
He said the ministry should consider local air quality, the duration of exposure and health advice, particularly for students with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
“At present, outdoor activities are suspended when the API exceeds 100 and schools are closed when it exceeds 200, but an API reading below 200 does not necessarily mean conditions are safe for every student,” he said.
Tham reiterated his proposal for schools to close once the API reaches 150, which falls within the unhealthy category.
He said learning could be rescheduled or moved online when necessary, while alternative arrangements should be made for students in rural and remote areas without suitable devices or internet access.
“At the same time, the ministry must provide alternative learning arrangements for students who lack access to suitable devices or internet connectivity, particularly those in rural and remote areas of Sabah,” Tham said.
Tham also called for clearer guidelines on who has the authority to order school closures based on local conditions, particularly when air quality near a school differs from readings at the nearest monitoring station.
“The National Haze Action Plan is important, but its implementation must not be so rigid that it overlooks local circumstances,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Tanjong assemblyman Justin Wong urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as Asean chair, to press Indonesia over recurring forest fires and transboundary haze.
He said years of recurring haze had affected public health, schools, livelihoods and the economy, and called for stronger diplomatic engagement and regional cooperation to find a lasting solution.
“Finding a more effective breakthrough through diplomatic engagement, regional cooperation and the protection of public welfare has become an urgent challenge facing Malaysia and Asean member states collectively,” he said.
