KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia remains committed to helping Indonesia combat forest fires causing regional haze, even as it prepares for the northeast monsoon, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Malaysia previously pledged a Bombardier aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 personnel to assist its neighbour in tackling the blazes.
"Although the assets and personnel are few compared with the overall effort to fight the fires affecting Malaysia, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia itself, we remain committed to continuing this assistance," he said.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the Road Safety Congress 2026 here today, Zahid added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also contacted Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
"As we see now, our assistance, however small, is a good gesture to help our nearest neighbouring country," he said.
Zahid noted that while aiding Indonesia, Malaysia is simultaneously preparing for seasonal weather shifts.
"We are now on standby to face the northeast monsoon. After the haze and fires, we will face another national disaster: floods," he said.
He thanked all parties involved in the ongoing monsoon preparations, including non-governmental organisations alongside government departments and agencies.
Referring to the national preparedness month held in Ipoh two weeks ago, Zahid expressed hope that upcoming floods would be less severe.
"We stress preparedness so victims can be evacuated earlier through our early warning system," he said.
On Sept 19, Prabowo accepted Malaysia's offer of firefighting assets and personnel during a meeting with Zahid in Jakarta.
However, on Oct 11, Zahid said Malaysia was still awaiting a response from Indonesia regarding the deployment.
Haze continues to affect the capital despite recent rainfall, as winds carry smoke and pollutants from Indonesian land and forest fires, compounded by high humidity.
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