Indonesia welcomes Singapore, Malaysia offers to help tackle haze

JAKARTA – Indonesian officials welcomed offers of assistance from Singapore and Malaysia to tackle forest and land fires that have sent blanketing the region, with one disaster management official saying firefighters on the ground could be more useful than helicopters.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) acting spokesman Berton Panjaitan told The Straits Times on Oct 10 that personnel on the ground would be preferable to aircraft if neighbouring countries were to provide assistance.

“The problem is that even if aircraft are provided, for example helicopters, visibility is very low,” he said. “So, if you ask us, I think it would be better to have personnel on the ground rather than helicopters.”

He noted this was his personal assessment of what would be most useful in fighting the fires, rather than an official request for international assistance. BNPB was not involved in negotiating foreign assistance, which was handled by other government ministries, he added.

Forestry Ministry spokesman Ristianto Pribadi told ST on Oct 10: “The Ministry of Forestry appreciates the concern and readiness of Malaysia and Singapore to assist in tackling forest and land fires. We regard their willingness to help as a demonstration of friendship and the spirit of regional cooperation to protect communities from the impact of forest and land fires and haze.”

Neither official could confirm whether Indonesia had formally accepted Singapore’s offer of assistance.

Ristianto said that cooperation involving other countries was coordinated through Indonesia’s foreign ministry.

“The Ministry of Forestry stands ready to support technical coordination within its authority and according to the needs of firefighting operations on the ground,” he added.

Indonesia’s Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said on Oct 9 that President Prabowo Subianto had communicated with leaders of friendly countries about strengthening cooperation to tackle the fires.

“The President has communicated with the leaders of friendly countries, particularly Malaysia and Singapore, to jointly strengthen cooperation in tackling forest and land fires,” he told reporters at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, without elaborating.

Indonesia is experiencing an unusually severe fire season, with prolonged heat and dryness exacerbated by a very strong El Nino. The fires have burned large areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan, while smoke and haze have affected neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Neighbours offer help as haze raises F1 concerns

Singapore and Malaysia have offered to help Indonesia fight the fires, which have worsened air quality in parts of both countries.

Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Oct 10 that she had been in touch with her Indonesian counterpart, Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat, to offer support and express appreciation for his efforts to contain the fires.

“We are aware that efforts are going on. We stand ready to assist where we can,” she told reporters at Our Tampines Hub.

Singapore’s 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reached 192 in central Singapore at 6pm on Oct 9, its highest reading so far this year and close to the very unhealthy range, which begins at 201.

Asked about concerns over air quality and the smooth running of the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, which is being held from Oct 9 to 11 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Ristianto said: “We understand the concerns about air quality and the smooth running of the event.”

“Our priority in tackling forest and land fires remains the safety and health of communities, both in Indonesia and across the region,” he added.

He said firefighting efforts were guided by conditions on the ground, the potential spread of smoke and operational needs, including preventing fires from spreading or recurring.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Oct 8 that he had spoken to Prabowo by telephone about the haze and that the Indonesian President had agreed to take steps to address the issue, according to Malaysian national news agency Bernama.

Anwar said Malaysia had been offering assistance for several weeks and had instructed his foreign and environment ministers to contact their Indonesian counterparts.

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Oct 7 that Prabowo had accepted Malaysia’s offer of firefighting assistance, although the two countries were still discussing how and where Malaysian personnel would be deployed, according to Bernama.

Singapore previously sent personnel and equipment to help Indonesia fight forest fires in 2015. The deployment included a six-man Singapore Civil Defence Force Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, a Republic of Singapore Air Force Chinook helicopter and 34 Singapore Armed Forces personnel to support firefighting operations in Sumatra.

ASEAN haze cooperation still faces hurdles

Singapore and Indonesia signed an environmental cooperation agreement in June 2026 covering transboundary pollution.

The two countries have also discussed sharing more early-warning information and possible Singapore support for the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, to be based in Indonesia.

At a meeting in Bali on July 9, ASEAN environment ministers and officials expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s progress in setting up the centre and stressed the importance of completing ratification procedures promptly.

The agreement establishing the centre has yet to take effect, with ASEAN’s official legal instruments database listing its status as “Not In Force (NIF)”.

Meanwhile, Indonesia continues to battle forest and land fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan, where peat fires have proved particularly difficult to extinguish.

The Forestry Ministry said on Oct 9 that 61 aircraft were on standby to fight the fires. Air quality remains unhealthy to very unhealthy in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, with hazardous levels recorded in some areas of Kalimantan.

Berton said he hopes that rainfall expected in late October or early November would help extinguish the fires. “Only rain can flood the peatland. It takes heavy rain, and not just once or twice, to put the fires out completely,” he told Kompas TV on Oct 10.