Key facts
- Malaysia closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and several states on Friday due to severe haze.
- Air quality in Kuala Lumpur reached an API reading of approximately 170.
- Singapore's air quality entered the "very unhealthy" range.
- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto about the haze.
- Malaysia is attempting to trigger rain through cloud seeding.
Malaysia has closed schools across multiple states and its capital, Kuala Lumpur, as thick haze from forest fires in neighboring Indonesia has pushed air quality to unhealthy levels. The closures on Friday affected approximately two million students.
Kuala Lumpur recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of around 170, while Singapore's air quality also dipped into the "very unhealthy" range with an AQI of 205. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim described the situation as "worrying" and stated he had spoken with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who agreed to take "necessary steps" to address the fires.
Anwar has requested an urgent meeting of ASEAN environment ministers to discuss the recurring haze issue. Malaysia is also implementing cloud seeding measures to try and induce rainfall. The country's King, Sultan Ibrahim, had previously stated that schools should close if API readings reached 150 or higher, aligning with guidelines where readings above 100 are considered unhealthy.
Indonesia has been experiencing its worst fire season in over a decade, exacerbated by El Nino conditions, with fires burning across six provinces and scorching at least 200,000 hectares. The Indonesian Ministry of Health has recorded over 170,000 respiratory infections.