JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 18 — The Johor government has extended the closure of schools and educational institutions across the state for another five days from tomorrow (October 19) due to the haze.
State Education and Information Committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said the decision was made following a meeting of the Johor Haze Management Coordination Committee at noon yesterday.
He said the extension would remain subject to developments in air quality, weather forecasts and ongoing health assessments.
“Monitoring reports indicate that Air Pollutant Index (API) readings remain at concerning levels, with no significant improvement.
“The decision also takes into account wind movement towards the north and weather forecasts for the next three to four days, which will be considered before determining when schools can reopen,” he said in a statement.
Muhammad Naqib said the measure was in line with the directive of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who consistently prioritised the safety, health and well-being of the people.
He said the decision also reflected the state government’s commitment to placing public health and safety at the forefront.
Meanwhile, he said Teaching and Learning at Home (PdPR) would continue throughout the closure in accordance with the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) PdPR Manual Version 2.0.
However, the needs of students sitting for examinations and assessments would be taken into account, with limited exceptions possible.
“These exceptions are subject to coordination by the Johor Education Department (JPNJ) and strict compliance with health standard operating procedures (SOPs), with no additional activities permitted,” he said.
Muhammad Naqib said JPNJ would review the implementation SOPs daily in line with MOE directives and obtain the latest updates from the Examination Board to coordinate examination and assessment schedules for MOE schools and Johor religious schools.
He stressed that face masks must be worn and all established health guidelines followed.
Regarding private educational institutions (IPS) and childcare centres, Muhammad Naqib said the decision on whether to continue operating or close rested with the respective institutions.
“However, this is subject to compliance with the established guidelines, including conducting activities in enclosed spaces and ensuring that face masks are worn,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said health authorities had raised concerns over the public health risks of prolonged exposure to air pollution and recommended more comprehensive preventive measures, particularly for children and vulnerable groups.
“Throughout October, 30,648 cases of asthma and upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) were recorded in the state, representing a weekly increase of 20.7 per cent,” he said.
The state government had earlier announced the closure of all schools for two days from October 8, before extending the closure to cover educational institutions for another five days from October 12. — Bernama