The Education Ministry announced that schools in a number of states will be closed tomorrow due to the haze.     

According to a source from the Education Ministry, the directive not only involves students but also teachers and staff in the schools.

  

The source when contacted by Bernama , was commenting on claims that teachers were required to be in school although the government had announced schools to be closed in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya.     

At the district levels, schools in Segamat, Muar, Ledang (Johor), Kuantan (Pahang), Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan), will also be closed, the source told Bernama, today.   

Meanwhile, Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said said the closure of schools in Selangor, KL and Putrajaya from tomorrow due to the worsening haze also involved teachers and administrative staff of the schools.        

He said the ministry had also suggested to Putrajaya Corporation to temporary shelve the Putrajaya Flora Fiesta 2013 which started yesterday until the air quality improved.       

The DOE said the air quality in Muar, the district which has been declared as emergency zone due to haze, is still at hazardous levels despite the fact that its Air Pollutant Index (API) reading had declined to 507 this evening from 690 earlier.      

The air quality in Bukit Rambai and Bandaraya Melaka also remained at hazardous levels, with the API in Bukit Rambai increased to 443 from 428, while the API in Bandaraya Melaka declined to 373 from 415, according to the Department of Environment (DOE) website today.      

Two new locations that recorded very unhealthy air quality today were Port Klang in Selangor and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan, with API readings of 214 and 276 respectively.      

In Kuala Lumpur, the areas of Batu Muda and Cheras recorded an unhealthy air quality this evening with the API readings increased to over 130 from only 110 previously.

Other areas with unhealthy API readings this evening are:

  • Selangor: Petaling Jaya with API reading of 151, Banting (133), Shah Alam (130) and Kuala Selangor (112).
  • Negeri Sembilan: Nilai (137) and Seremban (103).
  • Pahang: Indera Mahkota (138) and Balok Baru, Kuantan (183).
  • Terengganu: Paka (115) and Kemaman (174).
  • Putrajaya (138)

Based on the air quality index, reading of between 0-50 is categorised as good, 51 to 100 (moderate), 101-200  (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and 300 and above hazardous.

    

- Bernama

DOE Air Pollutant Index - check API readings nationwide