Selangor mulls giving free reusable masks to students amid prolonged haze

Selangor Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the state is considering a one-off distribution of reusable cloth face masks to school students. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

First Published: Friday, 18 Sep 2026 5:31 PM MYT

PETALING JAYA, Sept 18 — The Selangor state government is considering distributing free reusable cloth face masks to school students as the haze is expected to persist until October.

Selangor Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the matter was currently being discussed by the State Executive Council (MMKN) for implementation as a one-off initiative, with distribution to be carried out in stages.

“One of the proposals is to implement a one-off programme to distribute washable and reusable cloth face masks,” she said at the launch of the Support Partner Hub and Belia Sehat Hotline here today.

Jamaliah said air quality was expected to improve over the next few days, with Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at moderate or good levels compared with last week.

Six areas in Selangor recorded unhealthy API readings this morning, with Johan Setia registering the highest reading at 196, followed by Shah Alam (171), Banting (166), Petaling Jaya (163), Klang (160) and Kuala Selangor (143). — Bernama