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Indonesia Accepts Malaysia's Help to Tackle Wildfires
On Friday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced Malaysia offered assistance to fight wildfires in Kalimantan, including one aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 firefighting personnel.
Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni warning the blazes could persist until November; transboundary haze has created unhealthy air in Malaysia and Singapore.
At his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, Prabowo met Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, stating, "Even though it is a fire in Indonesia, its impact is felt by our neighbors. So, they want to help us, and we accept it gladly."
The Malaysian firefighting teams and fleet will arrive soon, Prabowo confirmed, welcoming the assistance with "gratitude and pleasure" and noting similar cooperation occurred several years ago to prevent recurrence.
Prabowo is formulating comprehensive measures to prevent future fires from recurring every few years while broadening regional cooperation with Malaysia on halal industry partnerships and other bilateral initiatives.
The crisis of smoke pollution in Malaysia has worsened as air quality has fallen to dangerous levels, amid warnings of its health consequences, particularly for children and the elderly with chronic diseases.