KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Indonesian Communications Agency head Syahganda Nainggolan has pushed back against regional criticism over transboundary haze, claiming that Indonesia’s tropical rainforests are responsible for supplying oxygen to Malaysia and Singapore.
His remarks were featured in a video interview published by Indonesian media outlet Kompas.
“We don’t just send smoke; when there is no smoke, we send oxygen.
“The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia also comes from our forests,” he said.
The controversial comments mirror previous diplomatic friction over the perennial environmental crisis, where Indonesian officials have pushed back against cross-border complaints by pointing to the ecological value of their forest cover.
Bilateral negotiations underway
Despite his remarks, Syahganda confirmed that Jakarta and Putrajaya are actively engaging in bilateral discussions to coordinate joint operations to combat the forest and peatland fires triggering the smoke canopy.
He maintained that strong diplomatic ties between the two neighbours provide an essential foundation for resolving the crisis, noting that on-the-ground firefighting operations face steep natural and logistical hurdles, Bernama reported.
“Malaysia’s foreign minister and Indonesia’s foreign minister are holding detailed discussions to find solutions and jointly address the forest and land fires,” he told reporters on Saturday.
Syahganda was responding to questions regarding Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s confirmation of Malaysia’s readiness to deploy firefighting assets to assist Indonesia, alongside a proposal to convene an emergency regional meeting of environment ministers to coordinate multilateral action.
The remarks arrive as air quality deteriorated sharply across Peninsular Malaysia, with 22 of the country’s 68 monitoring stations logging unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings this morning just as schools in several states prepared to resume physical classes.