Borneo residents take Indonesian govt to court, claim negligence in handling of forest fires causing haze

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Indonesian Communications Agency head Syahganda Nainggolan has dismissed regional criticism over transboundary haze, asserting that Indonesia's tropical rainforests provide oxygen to Malaysia and Singapore. "We don’t just send smoke; when there is no smoke, we send oxygen," he stated in a video interview with Indonesian media outlet Kompas.

Nainggolan reiterated that the oxygen present in Singapore and Malaysia originates from their respective forests. The comments echo previous diplomatic disputes, with Indonesian officials countering cross-border complaints by highlighting the ecological significance of their forest cover. Despite his remarks, Nainggolan affirmed that Jakarta and Putrajaya are actively engaged in bilateral negotiations to coordinate joint operations against the forest and peatland fires causing the smoke.

He emphasized that robust diplomatic relations between the two neighboring countries provide a crucial foundation for resolving the crisis, acknowledging the inherent challenges of on-the-ground firefighting operations due to natural and logistical constraints. Nainggolan's comments come in response to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's confirmation that Malaysia is prepared to deploy firefighting assets to assist Indonesia and propose an emergency regional meeting of environment ministers to coordinate multilateral action.

The statement follows a sharp deterioration in air quality across Peninsular Malaysia, with 22 of the country's 68 monitoring stations reporting unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) levels as schools in several states prepare to resume in-person classes.