World · East Asia & Pacific · 55 mins ago
Indonesia Has Yet to Respond to Malaysia’s Firefighting Aid Offer
Malaysia has offered to help Indonesia fight forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but Indonesia had not responded as of Monday, October 12.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his country’s disaster agency and Foreign Ministry had also written to their Indonesian counterparts.
Indonesia’s government did not discuss the offer at a meeting on the fires at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
The fires threaten conservation areas, including Tanjung Puting National Park, which is important for Bornean orangutans.
Thick smoke has made it difficult to fight some fires from the air, so authorities are focusing more on ground operations.
Firefighting is also under way in other parts of Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra, but Indonesia’s response to Malaysia’s offer remains pending.
Indonesia had yet to respond to Malaysia’s offer to help fight forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, an Indonesian minister said.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said the offer was not discussed at a meeting at the Presidential Palace on October 12.
Malaysia’s deputy prime minister said his government was still waiting for a response and that Malaysian agencies had sent follow-up letters.
Fires continued to threaten conservation areas, including Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan.
Thick smoke made aerial firefighting difficult in some areas, prompting greater reliance on ground operations.
- Who
- Indonesia had yet to respond to Malaysia’s offer, according to Coordinating Minister Dudung Abdurachman.
- What
- Malaysia offered help fighting forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
- When
- Dudung spoke on October 12, 2026; Malaysia had received no response as of the previous Sunday.
- Where
- The fires were in Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia; the meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Malaysia offered to help extinguish forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Malaysia had not received a response, and its disaster agency and Foreign Ministry had sent letters to Indonesian counterparts.
Dudung said the offer was not discussed at a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
- Offer
- Malaysia offered firefighting help in Sumatra and Kalimantan
- Indonesian official
- Coordinating Minister Dudung Abdurachman
- Meeting
- Presidential Palace, Jakarta, October 12, 2026
- Affected conservation area
- Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan
- Firefighting constraint
- Thick smoke hindered aerial operations
What people are saying
We made the offer sincerely, but there has been no response to our offer to help. We thank them.
It was not discussed earlier.
According to a report from the BNPB chief, helicopter operations have been carried out, but efforts are now focused more on ground operations because some areas are difficult to reach from the air due to the thick smoke.
Sources
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