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M'sia to close more schools due to haze, Melaka, Negri Sembilan & Putrajaya join Johor
The country's air pollution readings surged after dipping to moderate levels in some states over the weekend.
October 12, 2026, 06:43 PM
Photos from @azzyish_/Threads and @fiza.jf/Threads
As the haze situation continues to worsen in Malaysia, all schools in Melaka, Negri Sembilan, and Putrajaya will be closed on Oct. 13.
Schools in several districts in Selangor and Pahang will also be closed, joining Johor, whose state government earlier ordered the closure of all schools until Oct. 16, 2026.
In all other unaffected states — Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Penang, Perak, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak — schools will operate as usual that day.
This announcement was made by Malaysia's education minister Fadhlina Sidek in a Oct. 12 Facebook post on Oct. 12.
She added that schools that remain open are advised to monitor outdoor activities in accordance with current air quality conditions.
She also urged parents, students, and school faculty to wear protective face masks when outdoors.
Unhealthy air quality
Schools in Melaka, Negri Sembilan, and Putrajaya, had just reopened and resumed normal operations on the morning of Oct. 12 after a previous mandatory closure.
The decision was made after Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in these areas declined to moderate levels for three consecutive days over the weekend, The New Straits Times reported.
But on Oct. 12, 22 of 68 national monitoring stations in Malaysia recorded unhealthy API readings, prompting a new order for school closures, according to Malay Mail.
Under the API that the country follows, the unhealthy range is between 101 and 200.
Johor had the worst pollution as eight areas in the state logged unhealthy readings. Kota Tinggi district in Johor topped the country with the highest API reading of 170.
Previously, Johor's state government announced that all Johor schools would be closed due to the haze on Oct. 8 and 9, then extended the closure on Oct. 12 to 16.
Putrajaya, which hit 146 on Oct. 12, is also known as Malaysia’s federal administrative capital as it is home to the Prime Minister’s Office and several government buildings.
