Malaysia

Schools to reopen in 3 states as usual, outdoor activities suspended

Unhealthy air pollution levels have prompted schools in Melaka, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and three Pahang districts to suspend outdoor activities

Updated 53 minutes ago · Published on 19 Oct 2026 6:42PM

Schools to reopen in 3 states as usual, outdoor activities suspended
Haze hits 27 areas as schools suspend outdoor activities while cloud-seeding operations are under way to induce rainfall and ease the API - October 19, 2026

ALL schools in Melaka, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan, as well as in Kuantan, Rompin, and Bentong (Pahang), will operate as usual tomorrow; however, all outdoor activities are suspended due to the haze.

Johan Setia in Selangor recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading at 169 as at 4 pm today, followed by Alor Gajah in Melaka at 165, and Nilai and Seremban in Negeri Sembilan, both at 164.

The affected schools are in Melaka, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and the Pahang districts of Kuantan, Rompin and Bentong.

State education departments have advised students to wear face masks and instructed school administrators to monitor air quality, with particular attention to pupils who are more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution.

The Melaka Education Department said parents or guardians who were concerned about their children’s health could keep them at home, provided they informed the school.

In Pahang, schools in Kuantan, Rompin and Bentong will continue operating as usual, with any changes to be announced through the respective district education offices.

The Education Ministry has also extended deadlines for entering marks for several school assessments following disruptions caused by the haze.

The deadline for entering marks for the Year-End Academic Session Test (UASA) and Academic Session Final Examinations (PAT/PASA) has been moved from Nov 21 to Nov 28, while the deadline for Physical Education, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment (PAJSK) marks has been extended from Nov 30 to Dec 5.

In Selangor, other areas recording unhealthy readings included Petaling Jaya (158), Klang (156), Banting (154) and Shah Alam (153). In Melaka, Bukit Rambai recorded 164 and Bandaraya Melaka 161, while Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan registered 120.

In Kuala Lumpur, Batu Muda recorded 164 and Cheras 152, while Putrajaya registered 154.

Six areas in Johor also recorded unhealthy readings: Tangkak (161), Pasir Gudang (157), Batu Pahat (156), Larkin (140), Kota Tinggi (128) and Kluang (105).

In Pahang, Rompin recorded 155 and Indera Mahkota in Kuantan 152. In Sarawak, readings stood at 139 in Serian and 113 in Sri Aman. In Perak, Tasek Ipoh recorded 136, Pegoh Ipoh 125 and Seri Manjung 114.

Meanwhile, cloud-seeding operations began in Johor today and are scheduled to be carried out in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya from Oct 21 to 23 in an effort to induce rainfall.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department said the operations were being conducted with the National Disaster Management Agency, the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.

The exercise follows an earlier cloud-seeding operation in Sarawak, Kedah and Perlis from Sept 3 to 5 amid worsening haze.

Under the Air Pollutant Index of Malaysia Management System (APIMS), readings of 101 to 200 are classified as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and above 300 as hazardous. Readings of 51 to 100 are moderate, while zero to 50 indicate good air quality.  - October 19, 2026

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