Toxic Indonesian Smog Shuts Malaysian Schools as Singapore Air Worsens
Wildfires in Indonesia are sending haze across neighboring countries, prompting school closures in several Malaysian states and pushing Singapore’s air quality to its worst level so far this year. Malaysia has ordered education officials to monitor conditions, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for an ASEAN ministerial meeting. Indonesia’s Health Ministry recorded nearly 175,000 respiratory infection cases linked to fires between July and September.
Wildfires in Indonesia have sent smoke across borders, affecting schools and daily life in neighboring countries. Toxic Indonesian smog has prompted authorities in several Malaysian states to close schools, while Singapore recorded its worst air quality so far this year.
The fires have burned for weeks, spreading smoke across Indonesia and into Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In Malaysia, closures followed worsening air quality; in Singapore, pollution levels climbed as the city hosted its F1 Grand Prix.
Johor ordered schools to shut for two days. Authorities in Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, which includes Kuala Lumpur, also closed schools as haze conditions deteriorated.
Malaysia has directed schools across the country to close when local air pollution readings exceed 180 on its Air Pollutant Index. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said state and district education departments should keep watch and act when conditions require it.
“I have asked all state education departments and district education offices to continue to monitor the haze situation and take immediate action if the situation requires it,” Fadhlina said in a Facebook post late on Thursday.
Toxic Indonesian smog pushes Singapore readings higher
Singapore’s Pollutants Standards Index, a 24-hour rolling average of six key pollutants, reached 170 in the central region. The index runs from 0 to 500: readings above 101 are classified as unhealthy, while levels above 200 are considered very unhealthy.
Readings elsewhere on the island ranged from 117 to 166 on Friday morning. The BBC’s Singapore correspondent reported seeing people wearing masks and moving quickly into office buildings as haze obscured familiar residential blocks.
The effects reach beyond visibility. Between July and September, Indonesia’s Health Ministry recorded nearly 175,000 respiratory infection cases linked to the fires. That figure gives a measure of the health burden as smoke crosses national borders and authorities weigh school closures and other precautions.
Indonesia’s wildfire season is described as one of the country’s worst in years. The fires are primarily linked to illegal slash-and-burn practices used by farmers and companies as a low-cost way to clear vegetation. Experts cited said a “super” El Niño this year has worsened drought conditions.
Indonesia has deployed tens of thousands of personnel to fight fires, with particular attention to six priority areas across Kalimantan and Sumatra, according to the BBC report.
The haze has also prompted a regional response. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for a meeting of ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to coordinate action on the cross-border pollution.
For residents, the closures mean disrupted classes while smoke hangs over communities; for officials, the threshold-based order makes local pollution readings central to decisions about whether schools can remain open. The latest Singapore reading reported in the BBC account was 170 in the central region.
