Pakistan, Oct. 9 -- Malaysia closed schools in Kuala Lumpur and several other areas on Friday as haze pushed air pollution to unhealthy levels. The Education Ministry said smoke from fires in neighbouring Indonesia had worsened conditions. The closures affected schools in five states and two federal territories. Officials urged education departments to monitor air quality and respond quickly if pollution levels increased.

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Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said she had instructed state and district education offices to track the haze situation. She directed officials to take immediate action whenever conditions required school closures. However, she acknowledged that sudden closu...