Haze: Selangor schools to close for rest of the week

PETALING JAYA (Sept 18): With the transboundary haze still blanketing most parts of the country, the Selangor authorities have ordered all schools, public and private, closed tomorrow and Friday (Sept 19 and 20).

In a statement today, the state government said this decision was taken owing to reports by the Meteorological Department of Malaysia saying that hazy conditions will persist until next week.

“Exposure to the haze over long periods will raise health risks to especially the high risk groups such as children, senior citizens, people with cardiovascular problems, lung diseases and pregnant women,” said the statement.

The Selangor government also added that the closure of the schools is meant to ensure that the health of students is not affected by the haze.

The state government also noted that air quality monitoring stations throughout the state have recorded unhealthy and very unhealthy levels.

The state government has therefore asked Selangor Education Department and the district education departments to inform the schools and parents of the respective areas as soon as possible of the school closures.  

It was reported earlier today that 538 schools in Selangor have closed as the haze worsened.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE), the closure was made following the Air Pollution (API) readings at Shah Alam, Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya and Klang stations have exceeded the 200 mark, reported Bernama.

The move involved 52 schools in Sepang, Hulu Langat (61), Kuala Langat (21), Gombak (23), Petaling Perdana (139), Petaling Utama (86), Kuala Selangor (5), Sabak Bernam (18) and Klang (133) and affected some 584,595 students.