MALAYSIA is seeking action from Indonesia to contain forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan that have caused haze in parts of the country, with Jakarta deploying more than 60,000 personnel to tackle the blazes.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said he had briefed Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on his government’s response following a telephone conversation between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier this week.
“Yes, we have been in contact with Malaysia. I have spoken to the Malaysian Foreign Minister and explained the measures Indonesia is taking, including deploying more than 60,000 personnel and using 48 helicopters, as well as aircraft for cloud seeding and water-bombing operations,” Arrmanatha, widely known as Tata, told reporters at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Saturday.
The scale of the deployment underscores the challenge of containing fires that can send smoke across national borders, affecting air quality in neighbouring countries, including Malaysia.
Arrmanatha acknowledged that forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan remained a challenge, expressing hope that forecast rainfall would help bring them under control.
“We hope the fires will subside soon, as rain is forecast,” he said.
Anwar said on Thursday that he had contacted Prabowo to discuss the fires, which had caused haze affecting several areas in Malaysia and Singapore.
“The haze issue is indeed worrying. I have contacted President Prabowo, and he agreed to take the necessary measures,” Anwar said.
The fires have intensified this year, partly amid El Niño conditions, which can bring drier weather and increase drought risks in Indonesia.
Experts have also identified slash-and-burn practices and the draining of peatlands as factors that make forests and land more susceptible to fires.
Government figures showed that more than 202,000 hectares had been affected by fires between January and July, although the figures have not been updated since then.
The extent to which Malaysia will continue to be affected depends in part on whether Indonesia can contain the fires, alongside weather conditions that influence the movement and dispersal of smoke. - October 11, 2026
