JAKARTA, Sept 17 — Malaysia has officially offered assistance to Indonesia in tackling forest fires, including a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft previously deployed to help Jakarta combat similar fires.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was conveyed to Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka in a meeting held during his four-day working visit to the country, which began today.
Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) chairman, said the assistance would also include three helicopters and 52 officers and personnel from NADMA, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
“The matter will be referred to President Prabowo Subianto for the Indonesian government’s approval,” he told a press conference after a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and Indonesia’s Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Ministry here today.
The visit, which ends Sunday, is at the invitation of Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH) in conjunction with the Halal 20 (H20) Summit.
Zahid is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow and participate as a panellist in a session on regional halal cooperation.
MMEA’s Bombardier CL-415MP, which is capable of aerial firefighting, was previously deployed to South Sumatra in 2015 where it dropped 546,000 litres of water during a five-day mission.
Zahid said the aircraft would draw water from lakes, seas or rivers before dropping it over fire-affected areas, while the three helicopters offered would also be deployed for the same purpose.
“Malaysia is deeply concerned about this problem, which occurs every year, whether due to open burning in Kalimantan or Sumatra, with the resulting haze reaching Malaysia.
“We want to help Indonesia address the problem together,” he said.
He said the assistance is not intended to interfere in Indonesia’s affairs, but rather to address the transboundary haze affecting neighbouring countries.
“What is important to us is to resolve this problem before it happens every year. This means having a mitigation plan or a strategy to prevent it from happening. The mitigation plan is in the interests of both Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said.
Zahid said Malaysia and Indonesia maintain close cooperation in disaster management through meetings and joint exercises, including at the ASEAN level.
