THE Government will press ASEAN to establish a more effective regional mechanism to tackle transboundary haze, as deteriorating air quality forces schools in several states and federal territories to close tomorrow.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said haze was not classified as a natural disaster under existing ASEAN mechanisms, leaving a gap in the bloc’s regional response to the recurring problem.
“We do have an ASEAN mechanism for natural disasters, but haze is not included or classified as a natural disaster.
“So, it is one of the issues I will personally raise at a meeting with my counterparts,” he told reporters after attending the departure of Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Bunga Raya Complex at Kuala Lumpur International Airport today.
Mohamad said he had contacted his Indonesian counterpart, Arrmanatha Nasir, to obtain an update on efforts to extinguish fires in Indonesia, which have contributed to the regional haze.
He said Arrmanatha had informed him that severely reduced visibility in affected areas was hampering aerial firefighting operations.
“They have 34 aeroplanes and 34 helicopters, but they cannot take off because visibility is so poor that any flight in the affected areas would be unsafe.
“But they have deployed 60,000 people to work on the ground,” he said.
Mohamad said Indonesia was also facing challenges because some fires were deep inland, water supplies were limited and fires continued to smoulder in peatland areas.
Cloud seeding could not be carried out at present because suitable cumulonimbus clouds were unavailable, he added.
Malaysia recognised that the Indonesian government was making every effort to extinguish the fires and sympathised with the difficulties it faced, Mohamad said.
However, he said Malaysia hoped more effective measures could be taken to address the situation, which was affecting public health across the region.
Separately, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek announced that all schools in Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya would be closed tomorrow because of the current haze.
The closure also covers schools under the Hulu Langat, Petaling Perdana, Kuala Langat and Sepang district education offices in Selangor, as well as the Kuantan and Rompin district education offices in Pahang.
Schools in Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, Penang, Perak, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak will operate as usual, Fadhlina said in a Facebook post.
Schools in other districts of Selangor and Pahang not covered by the closure will also remain open.
She said schools continuing to operate must monitor outdoor activities according to prevailing air quality conditions.
“Parents, pupils and school staff are also advised to wear appropriate face masks when outdoors, particularly in areas affected by the haze.
“Everyone is urged to follow official updates from their respective schools, district education offices and state education departments,” she said. - October 12, 2026