Sarawak orders two-day school closures as haze worsens, affecting around 200,000 students

Sarawak orders two-day school closures as haze worsens, affecting around 200,000 students Nearly 600 schools are closed as the East Malaysian state records “very unhealthy” air pollutant index levels. KUCHING: Sarawak authorities have ordered a two-day closure of 591 schools across 10 districts as haze conditions worsen in the East Malaysian state. The closure, which took effect on Thursday (Aug 20), affects primary and secondary schools in Kuching, Padawan, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan, Simunjan, Serian, Sri Aman, Lubok Antu and Betong, the Sarawak Education Department said in a statement on Facebook. “The decision is a precautionary measure to protect the safety, health and welfare of students, particularly from the risk of exposure to unhealthy air,” said the Sarawak Education department. A total of 197,323 students are affected, the department said - 107,590 students from 509 primary schools and 89,733 students from 82 secondary schools. Home-based teaching and learning will be implemented during the closure to ensure that the students’ learning remains uninterrupted, it added. Further developments regarding the closure period and reopening of schools will be announced through official channels and respective district education offices, the department said. It marks the second time this month that schools in Sarawak have been ordered to close due to the haze. Last week, schools in the town of Serian had shut for three days when air pollutant index (API) levels briefly exceeded 200, according to Malaysian media reports. The board’s API scale lists readings of 0 to 50 as good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy and above 300 as hazardous. On Thursday, Serian recorded an API reading of 193, followed by 190 in Kuching and 173 in Samarahan, according to The Star. API levels in Serian stood at 239 as of 11am on Friday, Sarawak’s Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) said in a Facebook post, which categorised air quality as “very unhealthy”. Hazy conditions could persist over the weekend if biomass burning continues, Sarawak environment officials have warned. Haze has also hit Singapore. Muslim Friday sermon sessions will be temporarily shortened from this week in view of challenging weather conditions, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said on Friday. Dry conditions in the region are also expected to persist, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said in a statement issued earlier this week. Malaysian authorities and local media have linked haze conditions to forest and land fires in Kalimantan. Citing data from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), Sarawak’s environment board said a total of 7,286 hotspots were detected in Kalimantan from Aug 1 to 19, compared to 148 in Sarawak during the same period. “The hotspots and haze conditions may escalate in fire-prone areas experiencing prolonged dry conditions with a risk of transboundary haze occurring,” Sarawak’s state environment board said, adding that ASMC had also observed “moderate to dense transboundary smoke” in West Kalimantan - drifting northwards into parts of western Sarawak. News agency AFP reported on Thursday that Indonesian land fires have resulted in thick smog blanketing areas such as Palangkaraya, capital of Central Kalimantan in Borneo. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni told reporters in Palangkaraya on Wednesday that experts were on standby for cloud seeding operations to quell fires and prevent future ones.