Malaysia says it remains ready to help Indonesia with forest and land fires causing haze
Anwar says Malaysia is ready to assist and has proposed an ASEAN cooperation mechanism, per Bernama. Malay Mail reports Malaysia offers aircraft.
Malaysia has said it remains ready to help Indonesia deal with forest and land fires that have caused transboundary haze. Bernama reports that Kuala Lumpur is still willing to help Jakarta tackle the forest and land blazes behind the cross-border haze.
Malay Mail reports that aircraft are being offered by Malaysia for the battle against Indonesian forest blazes, even though visibility is dangerously poor. Malay Mail also quotes the words "We cannot sit back".
Anwar says Malaysia is ready to help
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in a Facebook post that "Malaysia remains ready to provide assistance, just as we have offered previously," Bernama reported. He said he is closely monitoring the situation, which has affected the health and daily lives of Malaysians and, for instance, led to school closures in several states and areas.
The tens of thousands of personnel and the variety of aerial assets that the Indonesian government has sent to bring the blazes under control were recognised by Anwar. Given how widely the affected areas stretch and how unpredictable the weather is, he observed that tackling a calamity of this kind presents a complex challenge.
A proposal at ASEAN level
To boost joint action on the matter, a proposal has come from Malaysia for a cooperation mechanism within ASEAN. Anwar said: "We have proposed a cooperation mechanism at the ASEAN level to strengthen coordination, preparedness, and collective action in dealing with transboundary haze."
Shared responsibility and commitment, he stressed, must underpin the response to this cross-border challenge, consistent with the spirit of regional cooperation and the close ties linking the two nations.
