East Kalimantan governor seen at MBS hotel, draws flak from Indonesians amid haze & forest fire crisis

The governor of East Kalimantan province in Indonesia, Rudy Mas ud, was recently spotted at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, sparking controversy and criticism from Indonesians. Following the viral photo of the pair having breakfast, which amassed over 11,000 likes on Threads, netizens condemned the governor for taking a vacation during a time when forest fires continue to rage in Kalimantan.

However, the East Kalimantan communications and information agency clarified that Rudy had actually been in Singapore for a health check, not a vacation. According to Indonesian media, he received permission from the minister of home affairs and underwent a routine health check at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. He left Singapore on October 11 and resumed his governmental duties in Jakarta the following day.

The fires in Kalimantan have been burning for three months, with the Indonesian environment minister announcing plans to extinguish all forest and land fires within a month. The government has received offers of assistance from other countries, but they will evaluate each offer based on its potential impact on firefighting operations, given that over 60,000 personnel have already been deployed.