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[1] For more than two months, Malaysians have been breathing toxic fumes. In Sarawak, readings in Serian hit a hazardous 376 and an emergency was declared;¹ across much of the peninsula, the air has been stuck in the unhealthy range for weeks. Schools across Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and the Klang Valley are being disrupted by the haze. 

[2] This is no seasonal inconvenience. It is arguably the most serious public health challenge the nation has faced since Covid-19. At the Health Ministry’s sentinel clinics alone, weekly upper respiratory infections climbed from 1,637 in mid-August to over 7,000 by early September. Asthma cases jumped 259 per cent in a single week.² ³ The fine particulates now lodged in the lungs of our children, our elderly and the chronically ill will take their toll for years to come.

[3] And what has the government done? On 17 September, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced in Jakarta that Malaysia had offered its Bombardier water bomber.⁴ Two days later, he declared that Indonesia had given the green light.⁵ Yet on 7 October, the foreign minister admitted that the operational arrangements, even where our team would be based, were still being negotiated.⁶ Weeks on, the plane sits idle while Jakarta drags its feet and Putrajaya waits politely. On 11 October, Zahid conceded there had been no reply, adding: “We take a positive view that perhaps they do not require our assistance.”⁷ Trust a politician to take a positive view when people on the streets are choking. 

[4] Then came the phone call. On 8 October, the prime minister announced: “I personally contacted President Prabowo, and he agreed to take the necessary steps.”⁸ What steps? By when? We are not told. The environment minister warns against finger-pointing and assigning blame, and promises stronger ASEAN action – next year.⁹ Fahmi Fadzil, the government spokesman, offered this: “We pray that the haze situation will become increasingly under control.”¹⁰ Let me be blunt: we didn’t elect you guys and give you all those perks to pray and pontificate; what we want from you is meaningful action.

[5] Let’s face it: this is a failure of diplomacy masquerading as good neighbourliness. ASEAN has a haze agreement ratified by every member and a roadmap promising a haze-free region by 2030.¹¹ But like so much of what ASEAN does, it is all talk. For all the professions of close collaboration among ASEAN leaders, when push comes to shove, they amount to little.

[6] Nor does Jakarta deserve any sympathy. Some 202,000 hectares had already burned between January and July.¹² Only in late August did President Prabowo fly in to chair a coordination meeting and order arrests.¹³ On 7 October, more than 1,200 hotspots were still burning.¹⁴ This is not resolve; it is damage control, a feeble response to pressure. Clearly, Jakarta still does not take seriously the damage it is doing to its neighbours.

[7] Equally galling is the attitude. During an earlier crisis, Indonesia’s then forestry minister complained that neighbours never thanked Indonesia for the oxygen its forests provided – as if Indonesia were the only nation in the world with forests.¹⁵ Now, with Malaysian schools shut and clinics overflowing, Indonesia’s government communications chief offers this gem: “When there is no smoke, we send oxygen.”¹⁶ What an extraordinarily obtuse thing to say. 

[8] Let us call it what it is. A state that knowingly allows fires on its territory to poison its neighbours year after year, offering excuses and condescension in place of results, is behaving irresponsibly; worse, it is committing an unfriendly act. It’s time for Malaysia to stop being so deferential to Indonesia and start calling Jakarta out for its callousness and insensitivity.

[9] So what should Putrajaya do?

First, plain speaking. Malaysia should tell Jakarta, publicly and firmly, that its failure to stop the burning is unacceptable. It should summon the Indonesian ambassador to receive a strong protest and insist that the urgent ASEAN ministerial meeting the prime minister belatedly sought on 8 October convenes within days, not weeks.¹⁷ It should demand a timetable, not assurances.

Second, get the Bombardier airborne now. Insist on operational clearance immediately, for the plane and for our firefighters on the ground. 

Third, internationalise the firefighting effort. Last month, Jakarta requested and accepted three Japanese Chinook helicopters, yet it still cannot answer our offer.¹⁸ Malaysia should lead a coordinated ASEAN deployment and press partners such as Japan and Australia to commit aircraft.

Fourth, put our own house in order. Asked whether Malaysian firms were among the companies facing action in Indonesia, Zahid said no information had been provided and that the firms were Indonesian-registered.⁵ That is a dodge. Find out who they are, then name and shame them.

[10] Jakarta sets the fires and sends us its smoke, then lectures us about oxygen. Putrajaya answers with prayers and phone calls. Between a neighbour that will not act and a government that dare not push it, ordinary Malaysians are left to choke. They deserve better from both. 

[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 12 October 2026]


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Let me give an analogy, one on how Australia interacts with the wankees. Once (former) PM Paul Keating described such an interaction by asking "How does one interact with a 500 lb gorilla when in the same cage?"

So, how does a nation like Malaysia (and Sing) interact with a 500 lb oranghutan?