Malaysia Urges Expedited Operational Talks With Indonesia To Combat Transboundary Haze

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 7 – Malaysia is urging Indonesian authorities to fast-track operational negotiations to allow Malaysian deployment teams to assist in extinguishing widespread forest fires in Indonesia that have triggered severe transboundary haze.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had previously accepted Malaysia’s offer of assistance. However, execution protocols and deployment sites remain under active bilateral negotiation.

“I hope that the negotiations for this operation, on how and where the team from Malaysia that can help can be expedited because the haze situation in our country has become extremely severe, exceeding unhealthy levels, and is approaching the hazardous index,” Mohamad told reporters following the graduation ceremony of the Diploma in Diplomacy Programme 2026 in Putrajaya.

Bilateral Coordination and Focus Areas

The Foreign Minister highlighted the urgency of finalizing deployment logistics to contain fires spreading across the region:

• Primary Focus Zone: Operational negotiations concentrate on deploying Malaysian emergency personnel directly to hotspots in Kalimantan, where extensive forest fires continue to burn.
• High-Level Approval: The initial agreement for Malaysian aid was secured during a working visit to Indonesia last month by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who confirmed President Prabowo’s acceptance after more than 1,400 fire hotspots were identified.
• Operational Readiness: Malaysian firefighting and disaster relief teams remain prepared to mobilize immediately upon final clearance from Jakarta regarding operational parameters.

Worsening air quality across Peninsular and East Malaysia has intensified the demand for prompt regional mitigation, with Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in dozens of locations reaching unhealthy levels.

–NMT