{
  "id": 13058743,
  "title": "Malaysia closes schools in capital, parts of country due to haze",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/malaysia-closes-schools-in-capital-parts-of-country-due-to-haze",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T06:47:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/malaysia-closes-schools-in-capital-parts-of-country-due-to-haze-3-1.500704187"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia has closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and other affected regions due to hazardous haze originating from Indonesian fires. The air quality in the capital and surrounding areas has plummeted to some of the worst levels globally, with toxic smoke from peatland and forest fires persisting for over a month. Malaysia's Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek instructed school closures in four states, two federal territories and a partial closure in central Pahang State. The country's leader, Anwar Ibrahim, met with his Indonesian counterpart to discuss the issue and called for an urgent regional meeting. The school closures follow air quality readings in Kuala Lumpur reaching 170 on the Air Pollutant Index (API), placing the city among the world's most polluted. When the API exceeds 300, it is deemed hazardous. The haze is exacerbated by an El Nino weather phenomenon, causing the worst pollution conditions in recent years. Other cities in the region, including Singapore, are also experiencing dangerously high air quality levels, with Singapore's reading at 205 on the Air Quality Index, classified as \"very unhealthy.\"",
  "summary": "Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the country on Friday, as haze from fires in neighbouring Indonesia again plunged local air quality to among the world’s worst. Toxic smoke from peatland and forest fires has shrouded cities in the region for more than a month, sending respiratory complaints skyrocketing. The school closures came as Malaysia’s leader…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Haze worsens in Malaysia: Nine areas breach 180 API, Seremban still the worst at 189",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/haze-worsens-in-malaysia-nine-areas-breach-180-api-seremban-still-the",
        "published": "2026-10-09T06:28:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Jakarta Post",
        "title": "Malaysia closes schools in capital, parts of country due to haze",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/malaysia-closes-schools-in-capital-parts-of-country-due-to-haze-13063463",
        "published": "2026-10-09T08:03:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}