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A tourist takes a photo against the backdrop of the haze-shrouded Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. / AFP, Yonhap News

Haze caused by Indonesian forest fires has prompted Malaysia's Johor state to keep 1,198 schools closed through at least the 16th. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ordered the deployment of additional firefighting resources, but criticism against the Indonesian government is mounting both at home and abroad.

A week into school closures, over 70% of primary students miss remote classes

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA) and local media outlets on the 14th local time, Johor state closed schools and educational institutions statewide starting on the 8th. The closures affect 1,198 schools and some 617,000 students. In the states of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Selangor, as well as Kuala Lumpur, closures and resumptions of classes have also alternated over the past few days. The Malaysian Ministry of Education lowered the threshold for school closures from an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 200 to 180 on the 8th. Under current federal guidelines, educational institutions must shut their doors if the API exceeds 180 or remains above 150 for three consecutive days.

The school closures have led to learning disruptions. According to a survey by the Johor State Parents, Community and Private Sector Involvement Association, over 70% of primary school students and 30% of secondary school students in Johor did not participate in remote classes during the recent closure period. Association President Yahya Jaafar cited the circumstances of dual-income parents, along with a lack of devices and supervision at home, as the primary reasons for elementary students missing classes. In Pasir Gudang, 35-year-old homemaker Jacque Mina Michael's five children share three mobile phones to access online classes. She told CNA, "A few are falling behind, but we have to finish the assignments because teachers require submissions on time." Her third son's final fourth-grade examination was postponed indefinitely due to the closures.

Mixed reactions have surfaced regarding the closure criteria. Some parents argue the standards are overly cautious, noting that in August, schools in Sarawak state on Borneo closed only after the API exceeded 200. Conversely, Bishop Danald Jute of the Anglican Diocese of Kuching criticized that the threshold was lowered on the 9th only after the haze spread to Peninsular Malaysia, calling it "a clear and unacceptable double standard."

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Firefighters battle a wildfire in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the 13th local time. Haze from the fires, which have scorched vast areas across Borneo and Sumatra, has spread throughout the region carried by the wind. Parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore have been blanketed in toxic haze for weeks. / AFP, Yonhap News

According to Reuters, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on the 13th that he is ready to provide all resources necessary for firefighting operations nationwide. Prabowo stated, "This is a top priority for us. It must be resolved immediately." Earlier, during a cabinet meeting on the 12th, he ordered the deployment of 70,000 forest monitoring personnel to suppress forest and peatland fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan. Firefighting operations are concentrated in six provinces, including Riau, South Sumatra, and Jambi, alongside West, Central, and South Kalimantan.

Damage is also mounting inside Indonesia. According to Indonesian Ministry of Health data, respiratory illness cases linked to the wildfires reached over 277,000 across just seven provinces as of the 12th, more than double the 113,000 cases recorded on September 9 of last month. The official burnt area was tallied at 202,000 hectares in July, but non-governmental estimates are substantially higher. Environmental group Auriga estimated the scorched area from January to August at over 637,000 hectares, which is nine times the size of Singapore. According to data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, emissions from Indonesian wildfires accounted for nearly half of global wildfire emissions over the past seven days.

Neighboring nations have offered firefighting assistance. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke by phone with President Prabowo last week and said on the 8th, "President Prabowo agreed to take necessary measures." Grace Fu, Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, also spoke with Indonesian officials over the weekend to convey a willingness to provide support.

Indonesia has yet to respond to the offers of assistance. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the local daily New Straits Times on the 11th that there has been "no response so far" from Indonesia, adding, "They may not need our help". Dudung Abdurachman, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, stated that accepting foreign assistance or declaring a national disaster has not been discussed yet, adding, "We can still manage for now".

                                                                                                              Jeong Ri-na