Malaysia to revise school-closure rules as haze persists and health risks rise

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim used a social-media post to signal a review of Malaysia’s school-closure protocols after a disaster-management council meeting on the haze problem. The haze, driven by forest and peat fires in Indonesia since August, has forced schools to shut and spiked respiratory cases among students. Anwar directed NADMA, the Department of Environment, the Malaysian Meteorological Department, and the Education and Health ministries to refine proposals for the National Haze Action Plan and to secure funding for cloud-seeding, which is being conducted almost daily when conditions allow.

The meeting also covered preparations for the upcoming Northeast Monsoon and warned of a potentially severe Super El Niño that could intensify droughts and floods. Anwar called on federal and state authorities, businesses, volunteers and communities to boost disaster readiness and ensure swift response and recovery efforts.