PUTRAJAYA, Oct 23 — Malaysia’s offer to help Indonesia tackle forest fires causing transboundary haze remains open, with the government ready to provide firefighting assets if needed, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said today.
He said the Foreign Ministry and the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) had yet to receive a full response from Indonesia on the type of assistance it was prepared to accept.
“The offer still stands. Malaysia remains ready to provide assistance and assets if required,” he told his weekly post-Cabinet press conference here.
Fahmi said the Prime Minister had expressed appreciation for the strong diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Indonesia and reaffirmed Malaysia’s willingness to assist in efforts to put out the fires.
He said the Cabinet had also been briefed on the haze situation by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister.
Fahmi added that the Cabinet had been informed of an announcement by Indonesian authorities this morning that 11 companies had been subjected to action over the issue.
However, no Malaysian companies had so far been identified as being involved in forest-burning activities in Indonesia, he said.
The haze affecting Malaysia has been linked to smoke drifting across national borders from fires in neighbouring Indonesia, raising concerns over air quality, particularly in parts of the Klang Valley.