Engage and Projek Sama said while the school closures, including in Johor, were done with noble intentions, there was a need for rigorous cost-benefit analysis of policy measures, not “tough, fast and performative decisions”.

“School closures must be guided by transparent science, not ad hoc or performative announcements.

“Authorities should publish API thresholds, weather forecasts, and health criteria in advance, and communicate decisions by a fixed time wherever possible,” they said in a joint statement today.

The NGOs said that because of the school closures, parents may lose income, take unpaid leave, or scramble for childcare, while employers may lose staff, and canteen operators, bus operators and food suppliers may lose business.

“For households already under financial pressure, even one lost day matters,” they said.

Noting the Johor government’s order for schools and educational institutions to close for 12 school days until Oct 23, they said a conservative estimate put the cost of disrupted parental work time alone at about RM1 million for each day of primary school closure in the state.

“Leaving aside students in secondary, private and international schools, Johor has 336,045 pupils in government primary schools.

“Assuming that they come from 168,022 households with two children, that 5% of these households have a salaried parent who has to take leave to tend to their children, and that these parents earn the median monthly wage of RM2,688 (RM122 per working day for 22 working days per month), the productivity loss amounts to RM1,026,449.

The NGOs called for the government to allow daily-wage earners, self-employed workers and low-income parents who lose income while caring for children during closures to qualify for temporary support payments administered through welfare programmes.

“Small school-dependent businesses, including canteen operators, school-bus operators and food suppliers, should receive limited emergency assistance when prolonged closures deprive them of ordinary income.

“Employers should be encouraged to provide flexible work arrangements and emergency childcare leave without penalising staff who have no alternative,” they said.

Engage and Projek Sama also called for free N95 masks for schools, B40 families and other vulnerable groups; vouchers or subsidies for air purifiers for B40 households with young children, elderly family members or the chronically ill; and the installation of air purifiers in community halls, libraries and other public facilities.

PETALING JAYA: As haze drives individuals indoors and forces schools to suspend outdoor activities, stray animals remain exposed to polluted air with nowhere to seek shelter, prompting calls for an emergency response plan to protect them before conditions worsen.

NGO Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) president Kalaivanan Ravichandran said animal welfare must be incorporated into Malaysia’s haze response, with clear responsibilities, veterinary support and practical measures to protect vulnerable animals.

He urged the government to establish a coordinated Animal Welfare Haze Response Protocol involving the Veterinary Services Department, local authorities, veterinary professionals and animal welfare organisations.

“When air quality becomes unsafe for people, we cannot ignore the animals that have no means of escaping that same environment.

“Animal welfare must be part of national preparedness, not an afterthought when a crisis emerges.”

His call comes as haze continues to blanket parts of the country, with 25 areas recording unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings yesterday. Pasir Gudang in Johor recorded the highest reading at 190 as of 8am.

Johor remains the worst-hit state, with eight areas reporting unhealthy air quality, while affected locations in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca also recorded elevated pollution levels. Kalaivanan said as authorities tighten public health precautions, including restrictions on outdoor activities and school closures when pollution reaches dangerous levels, similar safeguards must be extended to animals.

He added that stray animals are particularly vulnerable as many already struggle with inadequate nutrition, untreated illnesses and limited access to veterinary care.

He also said fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, could aggravate respiratory conditions, placing young, elderly and medically vulnerable animals at greater risk.

Kalaivanan said unlike household pets that could be kept indoors, street animals have little protection against prolonged exposure.

He added that Malaysia did not need an entirely new emergency framework, as the National Haze Action Plan and DVS Animal Emergency Management Manual already provide a foundation for disaster preparedness.

He said instead, existing arrangements should be strengthened through animal-specific health advisories linked to API readings, emergency veterinary referral systems and access to suitable temporary indoor facilities for vulnerable animals.

“Our recommendation is not to create another policy simply for the sake of having one. It is to ensure existing frameworks translate into clear responsibilities and practical action.”

He cautioned against indiscriminately capturing stray animals during haze episodes, saying such measures could be impractical and potentially harmful.

Kalaivanan said intervention should instead focus on animals requiring urgent assistance, guided by veterinary assessments and supported by appropriate facilities.

He added that animal rescuers and community feeders, many of whom already face financial and logistical constraints, could not be expected to shoulder the burden of environmental emergencies alone.

“Animal welfare NGOs are important partners in emergency response, but responsibility for national preparedness cannot rest solely on NGOs and individual volunteers.”

He also said rescuers often struggle to arrange transport, veterinary treatment and temporary accommodation for sick animals, with prolonged haze threatening to place further pressure on already limited resources.

Kalaivanan said for wildlife, the risks extend beyond polluted air to habitat degradation and disruption caused by fires, requiring specialised monitoring by the relevant authorities.

He added that SAFM wants animal welfare integrated into broader environmental emergency planning, with clearly designated agencies responsible for coordinating assistance before conditions deteriorate.

“The question is not whether Malaysia can protect every animal from every environmental hazard.

“The question is whether we have a coordinated, practical and accountable system to protect those most at risk.”

KUCHING (Oct 19): Air quality in Serian, Sri Aman and Lundu remained unhealthy as of 4pm, according to the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB).

Serian recorded an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 139, followed by Lundu at 128 and Sri Aman at 113, based on readings published on the NREB website.

The latest readings showed an improvement in several areas compared with 9am, when Kuching, Samarahan, Serian and Lundu recorded unhealthy air quality.

Kuching’s API dropped from 152 to 94, while Samarahan improved from 128 to 91. Serian’s reading fell slightly from 153 to 139, while Lundu recorded a decline from 141 to 128.

Sri Aman, however, saw its API rise from 92 to 113, moving from moderate to unhealthy air quality.

Under the API classification, readings of 101 to 200 indicate unhealthy air quality, while readings of 51 to 100 are classified as moderate and zero to 50 as good.

Most other monitoring stations across Sarawak recorded moderate air quality at 4pm.

Among them were Sibu at 80, Kanowit at 75, Mukah at 73, Sarikei at 72 and Kapit at 71.

Bintulu recorded an API of 59, while Miri and Lawas registered 53 and 51 respectively.

Limbang recorded the lowest reading at 35, followed by Bario at 43 and Belaga at 49, all indicating good air quality.

No latest data was available for Betong’s monitoring station under the Malaysian Continuous Air Quality Monitoring (MCAQM) system.

JAKARTA: Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Nasional Indonesia (BNPB) menggesa pihak berkuasa menyiasat kemungkinan kebakaran hutan dan tanah dilakukan secara sengaja selepas mengenal pasti 44 kawasan hutan dan ladang yang terjejas di Sumatera Selatan menerusi pemetaan yang disemak dengan data agensi pengurusan tanah.

Ketua BNPB, Kristomei Sianturi berkata, kawasan terbakar itu merangkumi ladang kelapa sawit, hutan tanaman industri, unit pengurusan hutan dan kawasan hutan yang dilindungi.

Kebanyakan titik panas dikesan berhampiran sempadan kawasan yang mempunyai permit penukaran guna tanah, sekali gus menimbulkan kemungkinan pembukaan atau peluasan kawasan secara sengaja.

Beliau menggesa pihak penguat kuasa menyiasat pihak yang bertanggungjawab, termasuk individu dan syarikat, sambil menegaskan hukuman berat penting bagi mencegah kejadian berulang serta memastikan usaha memadamkan kebakaran tidak sia-sia.

“Usaha keras kita tidak akan berhasil jika tindakan memadamkan kebakaran tidak diselaraskan. Seorang memadamkan api, seorang lagi menyalakan api, kemudian kebakaran berlaku semula,” katanya.

Beliau menegaskan arahan Presiden, Prabowo Subianto supaya kerjasama merentas sektor diperkukuh, termasuk di Sumatera Selatan yang merupakan antara enam wilayah keutamaan bagi pencegahan kebakaran hutan dan tanah gambut.

BNPB turut menggesa Badan Pemulihan Gambut dan Bakau (BRGM) membangunkan penyelesaian jangka panjang bagi kawasan gambut, termasuk pembinaan saluran air untuk mengekalkan kelembapan tanah gambut di enam wilayah keutamaan, iaitu Riau, Jambi, Sumatera Selatan dan tiga wilayah di Kalimantan.

“Kita mesti bekerjasama. Kementerian, agensi dan kerajaan tempatan perlu menyelaraskan tindakan, dengan program kerajaan pusat dan wilayah bergerak seiring,” kata Kristomei.

Beliau berkata, ribuan anggota pasukan gabungan dan helikopter masih dikerahkan untuk memadamkan kebakaran, sambil menambah penilaian berkala perlu dilakukan bagi memastikan penempatan anggota serta penggunaan peralatan berjaya mengurangkan jumlah titik panas.-AGENSI