Malaysia renewed its offer to help Indonesia fight forest and land fires on Sunday and proposed ASEAN coordination as Indonesian crews continued firefighting in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country remained ready to help Indonesia. He said Malaysia had proposed closer cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and cited Indonesia’s deployment of tens of thousands of personnel and aerial assets.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had instructed crews to focus first on Tanjung Puting National Park, then on other affected areas in Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra, Anadolu Agency reported.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said crews had completed 26 water-bombing operations in the Perlu River and Rengas Bay areas. Sapto Aji Prabowo, the Forestry Ministry’s director of area conservation, said ground teams had pumps and hoses available, including floating and portable pumps.
Raja Juli Antoni said six water-bombing helicopters available in Central Kalimantan had not yet operated because visibility at Tjilik Riwut Airport was limited.
