Greenpeace activists scale Jakarta monument as M'sia moves on regional haze crisis

Amid growing pressure on Indonesia to tackle the regional haze crisis, six Greenpeace Indonesia activists climbed Jakarta’s iconic "Selamat Datang Monument" today, unfurling banners demanding stronger climate action.

The activists - two women and four men - climbed the monument at Bundaran Hotel Indonesia early this morning and displayed two large yellow banners: “Address the climate crisis, lower the cost of living” and “Disasters are worsening, life is getting harder. What is the government doing?”

The protest coincided with...

Amid growing pressure on Indonesia to tackle the regional haze crisis, six Greenpeace Indonesia activists climbed Jakarta’s iconic "Selamat Datang Monument" today, unfurling banners demanding stronger climate action.

The activists - two women and four men - climbed the monument at Bundaran Hotel Indonesia early this morning and displayed two large yellow banners: “Address the climate crisis, lower the cost of living” and “Disasters are worsening, life is getting harder. What is the government doing?”

The protest coincided with the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, as Indonesia faces growing scrutiny over widespread land and forest fires blamed for haze affecting several Southeast Asian countries.

Greenpeace Indonesia said the demonstration highlighted how worsening environmental disasters, including forest fires and haze, were adding to the burden on Indonesians already struggling with rising living costs.

Activists taken to police HQ

Indonesia’s official news agency Antara reported that authorities “evacuated” the six activists.

Central Jakarta police chief Reynold EP Hutagalung said they were taken to a medical facility at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters after one of the women appeared weak while descending after several hours of protest and required oxygen assistance.

Police are also investigating how the activists accessed the monument, a cultural heritage site.

According to Indonesian news portal Suara, lawyers from the Advocacy Team for Democracy accompanied the group. Jakarta Legal Aid Institute lawyer Daniel Winarta confirmed that they were safe and receiving legal representation.

It remains unclear whether police formally arrested the activists or opened a criminal investigation.

Separately, about 500 protesters were expected to join a demonstration involving students from the University of Indonesia Student Executive Board, the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board, and civil society groups under the Komite Sadar coalition, Antara reported.

Their demands included action against environmental degradation and corruption, as well as calls to protect freedom of expression and address rising public service costs.

Malaysian MPs to submit memorandum

In Malaysia, Pulai MP Suhaizan Kaiat told the Dewan Rakyat today that Parliament’s Special Select Committee on Health would submit a memorandum to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning over the haze.

Speaking during the Budget 2027 debate, Suhaizan, who chairs the committee, said the recurring haze was more than an environmental issue.

“The haze has become a problem for this country. It is not merely an environmental issue, but also one involving public health, public safety, the economy, and diplomatic relations between neighbouring countries,” he said.

“InsyaAllah, tomorrow morning at 10.30am, the parliamentary special select committee and its members will submit a memorandum to the Indonesian Embassy concerning the haze problem,” said Suhaizan, who is also Johor Amanah's deputy chief.

Johor has been among the states worst affected by the latest haze episode. On Oct 16, Pasir Gudang recorded an Air Pollutant Index reading of 207, the highest nationwide at the time, in the “very unhealthy” category.

As of 5pm today, seven monitoring stations in Johor recorded unhealthy air quality: Larkin (159), Pasir Gudang and Kota Tinggi (156), Kluang and Pengerang (155), Batu Pahat (154), and Tangkak (153).

Nationwide, 25 areas recorded unhealthy air quality, led by Batu Muda in Kuala Lumpur (173) and Johan Setia in Selangor (171).

Fires fuel regional haze

Widespread forest fires in Indonesia have fuelled the regional haze crisis. Satellite data from monitoring group Nusantara Atlas show that more than 1.9 million hectares of land were burned between January and September this year, 38 percent more than during the same period in 2019, another severe fire year.

The fires, exacerbated by prolonged drought and strong El Niño conditions, have polluted the air across Southeast Asia, forcing school closures in Malaysia and Timor-Leste, while smoke has reached Singapore and the Philippines.

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Dudung Abdurachman, said yesterday that Jakarta had accepted offers of firefighting assistance from Malaysia and Singapore.

Malaysia will provide three aircraft and 52 personnel to help extinguish the fires, while Singapore has also pledged assistance, although it has not disclosed details.