KUALA LUMPUR – MIC National Strategic Director Datuk C. Sivaraj has urged the Education Ministry to immediately convene a meeting and consider school closures in haze-affected areas, saying the government must not wait for air quality readings to worsen before protecting students.
“I am deeply disappointed with the Ministry of Education’s approach in dealing with the worsening haze situation,” he said in a statement today, stressing that this was not the time for delays.
Sivaraj said children were particularly vulnerable to the effects of haze as their lungs were still developing, while exposure to unhealthy air could cause coughing, shortness of breath and respiratory irritation, and worsen conditions such as asthma.
“That is why when air quality deteriorates, the safety and health of our children cannot be taken lightly,” he said.
He added that if the air quality was unsafe, children should not be required to go outside simply to fulfil the school timetable.
The former MIC vice-president also referred to an accident in Pontian today involving three siblings, aged 18, 11 and eight, who died while travelling for a school-related matter.
“I am not saying the haze was the cause of the accident. But we cannot treat this as something normal,” he said, stressing that three children had left home and never returned.
“In a situation like this, the government must have a sense of urgency to act.”
Sivaraj said the government should not wait for the situation to deteriorate further before making a decision, adding that authorities should not become overly reliant on Air Pollutant Index (API) readings.
“We cannot wait until the situation gets worse before making a decision.
“We cannot become so tied to the numbers that we forget why those numbers were created in the first place.”
He said an API reading below 200 should not automatically be regarded as safe.
“An API reading of 199 does not mean it is safe and only becomes dangerous at 200,” he said, adding that if the situation already posed a risk, preventive action should be taken before conditions worsened.
Sivaraj said schools could be temporarily closed while lessons continued through alternative methods.
“Schools can be closed. Lessons can continue. But lives lost cannot be brought back,” he said.
“Use online learning, as we did during Covid-19. We have done it before. There is no reason to repeat the same mistake by waiting until the situation gets worse.”
He urged the Education Ministry to take immediate action and issue clear directives based on prevailing conditions.
“If we still do not have a sense of urgency when it comes to the safety of our children, how are we going to lead the country?” he asked.
Earlier today, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim called for schools in haze-affected areas to be closed, stressing that the health and safety of students should remain the priority.
His Majesty said prolonged API readings of between 150 and 180 called for appropriate measures to safeguard schoolchildren and other vulnerable groups from exposure to unhealthy air.
Meanwhile, yesterday, Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail ordered the closure of all schools in the state for two days from today amid persistent haze and unhealthy API readings. - October 8, 2026
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