Indonesia's official says its forests 'send oxygen' to Malaysia, Singapore when there's no haze
An Indonesian official described the forest fires causing haze across Malaysia and Singapore as a natural phenomenon, claiming that Indonesia's forests also supply oxygen to its neighbors.
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has announced enhanced measures to combat forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but he did not confirm whether Indonesia would accept assistance from neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia, who are also grappling with the haze. According to reports, Prabowo ordered intensified firefighting efforts in Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra, with over 60,000 personnel deployed to support ground operations.
Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, stated that Singapore is ready to assist Indonesia with the crisis, having been in contact with Indonesia's environment minister. Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that Indonesia has yet to respond to Malaysia's offer to help fight the forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Malaysia had previously offered 55 firefighting personnel, three helicopters, and a plane to assist. Ahmad Zahid said that Malaysia chose to remain optimistic and assume that Indonesia did not require their help, adding that the haze crisis should be viewed as a cooperative effort rather than a conflict between the two nations.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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