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Climate & Environment · Asia Pacific

Johor extends haze-related school closures for five more days

Johor’s state government extended school and educational-institution closures for five days starting Monday, Oct 19, after a committee meeting chaired by state education and information committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali. The state said air-pollution readings had shown no significant improvement, while home-based learning will continue and limited examination exceptions may be permitted.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 5 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 5 entries
5 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Center OnlyL 0 · C 4 · R 0 · 1 unrated
Updat3 graphic: Asia Pacific
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • State Education and Information Committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said the decision followed a meeting of the Johor Haze Management Coordination Committee (per CNA).
  • Exceptions for examinations and assessments may be allowed, subject to coordination with the Johor Education Department and health procedures (per CNA).
  • Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said 30,648 asthma and upper respiratory tract infection cases were recorded in Johor throughout October, a weekly increase of 20.7 per cent (per CNA).
  • The state had previously ordered all schools closed for two days from Oct 8, then extended closures to educational institutions for five days from Oct 12 (per CNA).

The brief

Johor’s state government extended school and educational-institution closures for another five days starting Monday, Oct 19, as air-pollution readings remained concerning, CNA reported. The decision followed a meeting of the Johor Haze Management Coordination Committee, according to State Education and Information Committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali. Naqib said the readings had shown no significant improvement. CNA reported that the latest extension follows earlier closures: the state first ordered all schools shut for two days from Oct 8, then extended the closure to educational institutions for five days from Oct 12. The new closure period is scheduled to run through Oct 23. NST’s headline also says the closures continue until Oct 23, while Malay Mail’s headline describes another five-day closure starting “tomorrow.”

Teaching and Learning at Home will continue under the Ministry of Education’s PdPR Manual Version 2.0, CNA reported. The state may allow limited exceptions for examinations and assessments. Any such exceptions would require coordination with the Johor Education Department and compliance with health procedures. Naqib said 30,648 cases of asthma and upper respiratory tract infections were recorded in Johor throughout October, representing a weekly increase of 20.7 per cent. CNA attributed the figures to Naqib, who was quoted by local media. The account does not provide a breakdown of the cases or identify how many involved students. The Department of Environment reading mentioned in CNA’s article was 190 in Pasir Gudang as of 8 a.m. on Sunday. CNA said this was the country’s highest Air Pollutant Index reading at that time and placed the area in the “very unhealthy” category. BusinessToday’s headline also characterizes the haze as “Very Unhealthy,” but does not give a location or reading. The state’s stated basis for keeping schools closed is the continuing concern over air-pollution readings. The next practical decision described is whether examination or assessment exceptions will be authorized through the Johor Education Department; any permitted exceptions would be subject to health procedures.

Why it matters

  • Johor students face continued disruption to in-person classes as the state keeps schools and educational institutions closed for another five days.
  • Teaching and Learning at Home under the Ministry of Education’s PdPR Manual Version 2.0 is the stated arrangement while the closures continue.
  • The state’s reported health figures were 30,648 asthma and upper respiratory infection cases throughout October, with Naqib citing a 20.7 per cent weekly increase.
  • Students scheduled for examinations or assessments could be affected by whether the Johor Education Department approves limited exceptions under health procedures.

What to watch next

  • Whether the Johor Education Department coordinates any examination or assessment exceptions during the closure period ending Oct 23.
  • Whether Teaching and Learning at Home continues under the Ministry of Education’s PdPR Manual Version 2.0 during the five-day extension.
  • Whether the Johor Haze Management Coordination Committee reports a change in air-pollution readings that would affect the state’s closure decisions.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Center Only· 4 Center · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Asia 100%
Outlet political mix
Center Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
4 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Center-rated outlets (4 of 4 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in Asia (5 of 5 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. ASEAN adopted its Regional Haze Action Plan for cooperation on haze prevention, monitoring and mitigation.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. The regional framework for addressing haze is the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, signed on June 10, 2002.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Indonesia ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Johor ordered all schools to close for two days amid poor air quality.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Johor extended closures for five days to educational institutions.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Before the latest extension, Johor’s state government had ordered all schools closed for two days from Oct. 8, then extended closures to educational institutions for five days from Oct. 12. Malaysia’s response to poor air quality rests partly on the Air Pollutant Index (API), which reports pollution levels using readings from monitoring stations.

The Department of Environment’s API system gives the public and authorities a common measure for assessing air quality; Malaysia’s school-closure decisions during haze episodes have used API readings alongside health advice. The regional framework for addressing haze is the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, signed on June 10, 2002.

Original sources

5 articles from 5 outlets

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