KUALA LUMPUR: Schools located in haze affected areas would be closed starting tomorrow.
The announcement was made by Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid as the haze situation took a turn for the worse in several areas.
Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan tweeted in his personal account today that instructions have been given to schools.
He said: "(Datuk Seri) Mahdzir Khalid has instructed all schools in Selangor, Federal Territory and Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan and Malacca to be closed."
The haze blanketing the country continues to worsen with Air Pollutant Index (API) readings rising towards very unhealthy levels.
As of 9pm tonight, the API in Banting, Selangor rose to 196, one of the highest readings to date and the Education Ministry has ordered schools to close in any areas where API readings exceed 200.
Other areas that recorded unhealthy readings were Nilai (193) and Port Dickson (190) while high readings were also recorded in Seremban (180), Bukit Rambai (188), Bukit Muda (188) and Port Klang (189).