Malaysia offers firefighting aircraft to Indonesia as haze limits visibility
Any deployment would require Cabinet approval, while schools in Johor have been ordered to stay closed until October 23.
Malaysia has offered Indonesia helicopters and aircraft for water-bombing operations against forest fires, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said on October 18. He warned that visibility below 50m in affected areas could make aerial operations unsafe.
According to Sinar Harian, Mohamad told reporters in Melaka that Malaysian and Indonesian agencies were discussing what help could be provided. Officials from Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and National Security Council (MKN) were involved in planning a possible deployment with their Indonesian counterparts.
The discussions would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval before Malaysia could provide assistance, he said. Indonesia has agreed to receive international help and is assessing offers from neighbouring countries.
Mohamad said the fires were in remote inland locations that were hard to reach overland, while dense smoke was restricting aircraft operations. He put the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Kalimantan at 1,000 and said Malaysia would not require pilots to operate in dangerous conditions.
Smoke from Indonesia’s forest and peatland fires has spread across parts of Southeast Asia, disrupting daily activities in Malaysia and raising health concerns. In Johor, authorities have ordered schools and other educational institutions to remain shut until October 23 because of unhealthy air quality.
