Kota Kinabalu: Several schools across the country, including in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Kunak, have been closed due to worsening haze conditions. The haze has been making a comeback after hitting much of the peninsula and Sarawak due to forest fires in Indonesia, and now affecting Sabah on Monday.
The Education Ministry said 1,909,842 students from 3,029 schools are affected as air quality took a hit, with the air pollutant index (API) reaching unhealthy levels (100 to 200) in the affected areas.
In Tawau, the API reading was 149 as at 5pm, according to the Department of Environment. Based on the observation carried out by the Ministry, the quality of air continues to worsen with several areas continuing to show uptrends on its API readings.
This is the second time the ministry has decided to close down schools this year due to the haze.
Constant haze affecting Malaysia, Singapore and large portions of Indonesia has sparked health issues, disrupted flights and the closure of numerous schools and colleges.
On Sunday, some 30 flights from the Tawau airport were disrupted due to poor visibility, affecting some 4,000 passengers following delays and cancellations.
Malaysia previously closed schools on Oct 4 to 6. The haze has been reportedly caused by the forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan.
