Haze: Schools in Four Districts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Shut on Monday, Johor for the Whole Week; Most of Malaysia Reopens

October 11: All schools under four district education offices in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Bangsar Pudu, Hulu Langat, Gombak and Petaling Perdana, will be closed on Monday, October 12, because of the haze, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in a Facebook post on Sunday, The Star reported. All schools in Johor stay shut from October 12 to 16 under a separate state decision. Schools in every other state and federal territory, and in the rest of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, will open as usual.

Key highlights

• Schools in Melaka, Penang, Putrajaya, Labuan, Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Sabah and Sarawak will operate normally, The Star and Media Selangor reported.
• That is a sharp narrowing from Friday, October 9, when schools were closed across Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and in the Rompin district of Pahang.
• Unhealthy air readings fell from 31 stations at 2 pm on Saturday to 15 at 9 am on Sunday, according to Department of Environment data reported by The Rakyat Post and Malay Mail.
• Johor’s 1,198 schools and 617,258 students will stay at home all week, with exams postponed, because readings there have stayed between 170 and 180 and winds from Kalimantan are forecast from October 13 to 15.
• The Selangor State Education Department told affected schools to inform parents and protect students’ health.

How the closures have changed

By our count, six states and federal territories had all their schools closed on Friday, plus one district of Pahang. On Monday only one state, Johor, will be fully closed, along with four district education areas in the Klang Valley. The rules have not changed: schools close where the Air Pollutant Index goes above 180, or above 150 for three days in a row, and decisions for Monday were due by 2.45 pm on Sunday.

The readings behind the decisions

On Saturday afternoon, seven of the nine highest readings were in Johor, with Cheras in Kuala Lumpur at 173, The Rakyat Post reported. Readings were taken at different times of day, so the comparison is a guide. In Singapore, the central 24-hour PSI was 152 at 8 am on Sunday, still in the unhealthy range, according to NEA data. Our morning report: Johor shuts all schools until Friday as haze eases.

What to watch

• Daily school decisions for Tuesday onwards, announced by 5.45 pm each day.
• Whether the winds forecast from Kalimantan between October 13 and 15 push readings back up in Johor, the Klang Valley and Singapore.
• Whether Johor reopens schools after October 16.

What it means

The haze has eased enough for most Malaysian children to return to school on Monday, but not everywhere. The closures now follow the data district by district rather than state by state, which limits disruption but means parents in the Klang Valley must check each day. Johor has chosen a longer shutdown based on the forecast, not only on current readings. If the winds turn as expected this week, other districts could follow.

Sources

• The Star: Haze: Schools in four districts in KL and Selangor closed tomorrow
• Media Selangor: Haze: Schools in three Selangor districts to remain closed
• The Star: Haze: All schools in Johor to remain closed for another five days from Oct 12-16
• Malay Mail: Haze: 15 areas in Malaysia record unhealthy air quality, Pasir Gudang highest at 180
• The Rakyat Post: Johor’s Tangkak tops the API charts at 186, with 31 regions still unhealthy
• Malay Mail: Haze worsens in Malaysia: Nine areas breach 180 API, Seremban still the worst at 189
• Malay Mail: Haze: Schools in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu to operate as usual today, says Fadhlina
• data.gov.sg (National Environment Agency): PSI readings, October 11, 2026, 8 am

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