Haze forces Malaysia to close schools

Malaysia on Friday closed schools due increasing level of haze, according to Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

Schools were closed in the states of Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, as well as in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya and the Rompin district of Pahang.

According to Bloomberg statistics, the closure has forced over 2 million students to stay home.

The toxic haze spread to Malaysia from wildfires in Indonesia, which has blanketed the region.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the “worsening haze situation is highly concerning, particularly its impact on public health.”

He said his government was “intensifying efforts to address it, including through cloud seeding operations.”

Last month, Malaysia conducted a three-day cloud-seeding operation in eastern Sarawak state to replenish dam water levels and ease haze in the region.

Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo Island, shares a land border with Indonesia.

Malaysia has also sought Jakarta's approval to conduct cloud-seeding operations, using Indonesian airspace as authorities work to tackle haze linked to fires in the region.

Anwar also spoke to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto regarding the haze and agreed to offer support.

Nearly 95,000 hectares burned in Indonesia in July alone, while about 202,000 hectares had burned nationwide by the end of July, the Forest Ministry said.

Indonesia has recorded around 175,000 cases of acute respiratory infections since August across areas affected by forest and land fires.

Meanwhile, neighboring Singapore is hosting Formula 1 race over the weekend and organizers have said they will not delay it despite haze.