PUTRAJAYA, Oct 9 — The Selangor State Education Department (JPN) must prepare alternative plans if the haze persists to ensure students' learning, particularly among Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates, is not disrupted.
Selangor Menteri Besar Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government was ready to assist and facilitate the department's needs to ensure learning could continue if students were unable to attend school because of the haze.
"We uphold His Majesty's decree, and today all schools in Selangor have been closed and have implemented home-based teaching and learning (PdPR).
"We will therefore meet with the JPN to ensure our children's education is not disrupted while they are unable to attend school, especially with the SPM examinations approaching.
"I believe the JPN needs to prepare a plan if this situation continues. Although we expect it to end by mid-October, the latest reports from the Malaysian Meteorological Department suggest that conditions could persist until November.
"So, if the haze continues into November and December, we may need a contingency plan for the SPM examinations," he said after officiating the ‘TCab Tech E20 eVTOL Exhibition: Malaysian Engineers, Global Impact’ here today.
All schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE), as well as educational institutions under the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS), have been ordered to close from today until further notice following the worsening haze.
In a statement, the Selangor State Education Department said affected schools must implement home-based teaching and learning (PdPR), while teachers and members of the support staff (AKP) have been instructed to work from home, subject to current directives and operational needs.
The closures followed a decree by the King, who expressed concern over the haze situation and emphasised the importance of safeguarding students' safety and health.
Following the decree, the MOE announced the closure of educational institutions in affected areas to reduce the risk of students and school staff being exposed to air pollution.
The 2026 SPM examinations are scheduled to take place from October 26 to December 17, 2026.
