THE Ministry of Education (MOE) has confirmed that school administrators are authorised to temporarily close educational institutions if temperatures exceed 37°C for three consecutive days, provided the conditions have first been officially declared a heatwave by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
Deputy Director of the Student Affairs Management Sector under the MoE's School Management Division, Hirudin Mohit, said the measure is part of the ministry's heat management guidelines, which have been in force since 2023 to safeguard the health and safety of students and school staff during periods of extreme weather.
He explained that the guidelines also regulate outdoor school activities based on temperature thresholds.
"Outdoor activities may be carried out when temperatures remain below 35 degrees Celsius.
"Outdoor activities must also be postponed if temperatures rise to between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days," Kosmo! quoted him saying today.
Hirudin was speaking during the Government-Media Engagement Session on National Preparedness for the 2026 Southwest Monsoon at the headquarters of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) in Pulau Meranti.
His remarks come as Malaysia braces for prolonged hot and dry weather conditions associated with the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
Earlier, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the country is expected to experience hotter and drier conditions until early next year.
According to the agency, the weather pattern is being driven by the Southwest Monsoon, which began on 14 May and is expected to remain active until September. - July 7, 2026
