Malaysia proposes aircraft, helicopters and staff to aid Indonesia's fire fight
Malaysia has offered a Bombardier CL-415MP firefighting plane, three helicopters and 52 disaster-management personnel to help Indonesia combat forest fires.
During a four-day working trip that began in Jakarta, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi conveyed Malaysia's offer to assist Indonesia with its recurring forest-fire crisis. The proposal comprises a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft, previously used in South Sumatra, three additional helicopters and a team of 52 officers drawn from the National Disaster Management Agency, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
Zahid explained that the aircraft can scoop water from lakes, seas or rivers and drop it on fire-affected zones. The assistance will be referred to President Prabowo Subianto for formal approval. The gesture aligns with ongoing ASEAN-level disaster-management cooperation and aims to curb transboundary haze that impacts both nations.
Why it matters
Cooperative fire-fighting aid could reduce haze that harms health and economies across Southeast Asia.
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