Clearer skies return to parts of Malaysia but many remain cautious

PETALING JAYA – As clearer skies return to parts of Malaysia, parents are breathing a sigh of relief, but many remain on alert in case the haze returns and schools are forced to close again.For working parents, better air quality means fewer disruptions to their daily routines, although some said they were still prepared to juggle work and childcare should conditions deteriorate.IT executive Melissa Poh, 38, from Shah Alam, said her flexible working arrangement would make it easier to care for her two children, aged seven and 11, if their school was closed.“I can work from home, so it would not be a big issue for me to take care of them,” she said.Poh said she would keep the children indoors as much as possible and ensure they kept up with their schoolwork while the haze persisted.“I would probably prepare some activities for them and make sure they have something to do while I work,” she said.While having both children at home would require some adjustment, Poh said she could rearrange her working hours around their needs.She added that she would continue to follow updates from the school and official channels, particularly if a closure lasted more than a day.For sales executive Derrick Ch’ng, 41, however, a school closure involving his eight-year-old son would require more juggling as his work required him to be physically present.“If the school closes, my wife and I would have to work out who can take care of him and probably leave work earlier,” he said.Ch’ng said the biggest challenge would be rearranging his schedule if a closure was announced at short notice.The couple would first consider their work commitments before deciding whether to adjust their hours, seek help from a family member or make other childcare arrangements.“If I’m informed earlier, it is easier because I can plan who will pick him up and where he can stay,” he said.Ch’ng added that traffic and travel time would also have to be taken into account, particularly if he needed to return home earlier than usual.An administrative executive who wished to be known only as Aisyah, 32, said she would likely rely on her parents to look after her seven-year-old daughter if schools were closed.“My parents live nearby and could look after her during the day, but I would still need to coordinate with them around my working hours.“I am lucky that my parents are nearby, but I would still need to make arrangements with them, especially if the school is closed for several days,” she said.Aisyah said repeated closures could become challenging for working parents trying to balance childcare, work and other family commitments.Under the National Haze Action Plan, schools, kindergartens and childcare centres will be closed immediately when API readings exceed 200.Meanwhile in Sarawak, the temporary closure of schools in the Serian and Lubok Antu districts was extended until the API readings in both districts fall below 200, reported Bernama, citing a Sept 12 statement from the state’s education department.Primary and secondary schools under 12 district education offices – Kuching, Padawan, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan, Simunjan, Sri Aman, Kanowit, Julau, Meradong, Bintulu and Tatau/Sebauh – will resume normal operations on Sept 14.Malaysia’s Education Ministry will also collaborate with the National Disaster Management Agency to distribute face masks to students, teachers, and school staff who are severely affected by the haze. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK