Haze from Indonesian fires has hung over Malaysia for weeks, and the effects on daily life are still being felt. On October 9, 2026, the Education Ministry ordered schools to close in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and several states, including Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor, along with three districts in Perak, affecting around two million students. Kuala Lumpur’s Air Pollutant Index reached about 170, which falls in the unhealthy range and made it one of the most polluted major cities in the world that day, according to IQAir.
The Malaysian King, Sultan Ibrahim, said schools should be closed when API readings reach 150 or higher, and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said future closure decisions would be announced in advance so that parents have time to prepare. Johor extended school closures when the haze persisted, and later reports said 29 areas recorded unhealthy air at one stage, while cloud seeding operations targeted Johor to induce rain. Under Malaysian guidelines, an API above 200 is very unhealthy, above 300 hazardous, and above 500 can trigger a local emergency declaration.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, calling the haze level worrying and asking for an urgent ASEAN meeting. Prabowo agreed to take the necessary steps, though details were not given. Indonesia says it has deployed about 60,000 personnel to fight fires across Sumatra and Borneo. The haze was debated in the Dewan Rakyat alongside Budget 2027, with MPs raising health impacts and the economic cost to schools and tourism.
Health experts advise residents to check official API readings, wear well-fitted N95 masks outdoors, limit strenuous activity and keep windows closed during haze. Children, older people and those with respiratory problems are most at risk.
What to watch: the daily API reading at the Department of Environment portal, Education Ministry notices for local closures, rainfall forecasts as the monsoon transition approaches, and the outcome of any ASEAN meeting on transboundary pollution.
Sources: Al Jazeera, AFP, Reuters, The Vibes, Bernama, Kuwait Times (October 9–22, 2026). Check live API data before travel. Compiled October 27, 2026.
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