Schools in Johor state, the southernmost state of Malaysia, reopened on Monday after an improvement in air quality and a decrease in pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia. This pollution had affected large areas of Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, leading to increased respiratory complaints and diplomatic tensions between countries.
School Reopening and Initial Restrictions
According to Mohd Khairul Madghazali, the head of the Education and Information Committee of Johor state, in-person classes began gradually on Monday. This decision was made after air quality assessments and health evaluations. Student attendance on Monday and Tuesday is limited to those who are taking exams, and full activities are expected to resume on Wednesday if the improvement in air quality continues.
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Air Quality Status in Malaysia and the Region
Government monitoring data shows that no area in Johor or most parts of Peninsular Malaysia recorded unhealthy pollution levels on Monday afternoon. However, several areas in Sarawak state in Borneo, including the state capital, Kuching, still reported unhealthy air quality.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has stated that changing wind patterns are likely to reduce the risk of further pollution for the remainder of the year. Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, the director-general of the department, indicated that since the wind direction has now shifted from the southwest to the northeast, it is expected that we will not see new pollution occurrences this year.
Regionally, the air pollution situation remains unstable, and Singapore is still among the 20 most polluted cities in the world on Monday afternoon. Indonesia has also faced serious challenges in controlling fires in recent months, with approximately over 1.9 million hectares of forests having burned in the first nine months of this year.
In an effort to reduce diplomatic tensions, Indonesia reduced natural gas exports to Singapore on Saturday to prioritize its domestic needs.
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