Fahmi: Malaysia ready to help Indonesia fight forest fires, awaiting green light

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — Malaysia stands ready to lend a hand to Indonesia in combating the forest fires that have led to an intense haze in the region, according to government spokesman Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil. The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the Foreign Ministry have briefed the Cabinet on the assets at their disposal and shared the list with their Indonesian counterparts.

However, Fahmi revealed at a press briefing held after the Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya that Malaysia has received no confirmation or updates to utilize these resources to combat the fires. "For us to deploy our assets to assist, we need the permission by the Indonesian authorities," he emphasized, adding that he is also the communications minister.

The call for assistance comes in the wake of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent plea for enhancements to the existing ASEAN mechanism for addressing transboundary haze. Anwar stressed that the issue demands urgent attention from the relevant ASEAN ministers, as the haze poses a significant threat to public health, especially for children and babies.

The forest and peatland fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan and Sumatra regions have triggered a hazardous transboundary haze, leading to hazardous air quality conditions in certain parts of Malaysia.