Education Minister: Parents Have Discretion in Keeping Children Home Due to Haze

Malaysia's Education Minister, Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek, announced that parents can choose to keep their children home from school if they are concerned about health due to the ongoing haze, provided they inform the school. The ministry will continue to monitor Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with outdoor activities suspended when API exceeds 100 and schools closed when API exceeds 200. Samarahan, Sarawak, recorded a "very unhealthy" API reading of 226.