October 11: Johor will keep all 1,198 schools and educational institutions closed for five more days, from Monday, October 12, to Friday, October 16, affecting 617,258 students, because of the haze, The Star reported. The decision came even as air quality improved across most of Malaysia: 15 monitoring stations recorded unhealthy readings at 9 am on Sunday, down from 33 on Saturday morning, according to Department of Environment data reported by Bernama via Malay Mail. In Singapore, the 24-hour PSI in the central region was 152 at 8 am, down from this year’s high of 192 on Friday, but every region was still in the unhealthy range, NEA data show.
Key highlights
- Johor’s closure follows a decree by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, and was announced by state education committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali, The Star reported. Johor’s readings have stayed between 170 and 180.
- Winds are forecast to blow from the direction of Kalimantan from October 13 to 15, which could bring more smoke, the state government said.
- Eight of the 14 unhealthy areas named on Sunday morning were in Johor, with Pasir Gudang the highest at 180, Malay Mail reported.
- Exams scheduled during the closure will be postponed, and home-based learning will continue where appropriate.
- Schools in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where Sunday is a school day, opened as usual because readings were “still under control”, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said, according to Malay Mail.
Malaysia: the trend over three days
| Reading time | Unhealthy stations (API 101–200) | Highest reading | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, October 9, 2 pm | 37 of 68 | Seremban, 189 | Malay Mail |
| Saturday, October 10, 10 am | 33 | Batu Pahat, 190 | Malay Mail (Bernama) |
| Sunday, October 11, 9 am | 15 | Pasir Gudang, 180 | Malay Mail (Bernama) |
By our calculation, the number of unhealthy readings fell by 55% between Saturday and Sunday morning. On Sunday, 50 stations were moderate and three were good. No station was very unhealthy on any of the three days. Readings were taken at different times of day, so the comparison is a guide.
| Area | API, Sunday 9 am |
|---|---|
| Pasir Gudang | 180 |
| Larkin | 178 |
| Kota Tinggi | 166 |
| Tangkak | 164 |
| Segamat | 162 |
| Pengerang | 160 |
| Kluang | 159 |
| Batu Pahat | 151 |
Outside Johor, the unhealthy readings on Sunday were in Pahang (Balok Baru, Kuantan, 159), Kuala Lumpur (Cheras, 157), Terengganu (Kemaman and Kuala Terengganu, 156; Paka, 133) and Melaka (Alor Gajah, 103). Malay Mail said 15 areas were unhealthy but named 14.
Singapore: still unhealthy, but easing
| Region | Sat, Oct 10, 7 pm | Sun, Oct 11, 8 am | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 168 | 152 | −16 |
| West | 152 | 153 | +1 |
| East | 150 | 139 | −11 |
| South | 128 | 115 | −13 |
| North | 118 | 118 | 0 |
The change column is our calculation. All five regions remain in the unhealthy band of 101 to 200. The central reading has fallen 40 points from Friday’s peak of 192, by our calculation. NEA had said on Friday that the PSI could cross 200 and that the government would then roll out its next tier of measures, including N95 masks and haze shelters, The Online Citizen reported.
How Malaysia decides which schools close
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Immediate closure | Schools close in districts where the API goes above 180, a rule in force since October 9 |
| Three-day rule | Schools in areas above 150 for three consecutive days must close from October 12 |
| Who decides | State education directors, through a haze monitoring task force of state and district education offices that checks readings at set times each day |
| When it is announced | Before 2.45 pm on Saturdays for Group A states and on Sundays for Group B states; before 5.45 pm on other days |
| If closed | Schools switch to home-based teaching and learning |
That means the status of schools for Monday in Group B states, which include Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, is due to be announced before 2.45 pm on Sunday. Johor has already decided.
What to watch
- Sunday afternoon’s school announcements for the rest of Malaysia.
- Whether the forecast winds from Kalimantan on October 13 to 15 push readings back up in Johor and Singapore.
- Whether Singapore’s PSI drops below 100 or rises again above 200.
- Any meeting of ASEAN environment ministers, which Malaysia has requested.
What it means
The haze is easing, but unevenly. Most of Malaysia saw a sharp improvement on Sunday, while Johor, at the peninsula’s southern tip next to Singapore, still had eight unhealthy readings and chose to keep more than 600,000 students at home for a full week. Johor’s decision is based on the forecast as much as on today’s air: the state expects winds from Kalimantan to bring smoke back from Tuesday. For families elsewhere in Malaysia, the answer comes this afternoon. Our earlier report: Haze eases slightly but stays unhealthy.
Sources
- 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 records highest API reading at 180
- Malay Mail: Haze: Schools in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu to operate as usual today, says Fadhlina
- Malay Mail: API reaches unhealthy levels in 33 areas across Malaysia by 10am
- Malay Mail: Haze worsens in Malaysia: Nine areas breach 180 API, Seremban still the worst at 189
- data.gov.sg (National Environment Agency): PSI readings, October 11, 2026, 8 am
- data.gov.sg (National Environment Agency): PSI readings, October 10, 2026, 7 pm
- The Online Citizen: Singapore convenes Haze Task Force as PSI hits season high of 192
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
