Govt writes to Asean Secretariat over El Nino, transboundary haze

The Malaysian government has written to the Asean Secretariat concerning the effects of El Nino and transboundary haze, with the issue being discussed in the Dewan Rakyat. Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup held a telephone conversation with Indonesia's Environment Minister on Aug 24 to expedite firefighting efforts, and Malaysia subsequently offered assistance including aerial firefighting, amphibious aircraft support, and cloud-seeding operations.

This offer was accepted by Indonesia on Sept 18 following a meeting between the deputy prime minister and the Indonesian president, with assistance now being coordinated through their respective foreign ministries. Kurup also mentioned that the government is actively using Asean mechanisms and bilateral relations to ensure preventive measures and firefighting efforts can be carried out swiftly at the source.

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