Malaysia, Indonesia begin talks on joint action against forest fires causing haze, says Tok Mat

Malaysia, Indonesia begin talks on joint action against forest fires causing haze, says Tok Mat



Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the discussions involved relevant agencies and ministries from both countries, including the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN). — Bernama pic


Summary

• Malaysia and Indonesia have started discussions to collaborate on addressing forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, which have led to transboundary haze.
• Relevant agencies from both nations, including the National Disaster Management Agency and the Foreign Ministry, are involved in the talks.
• The haze has persisted for almost two months, affecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, and Malaysia plans to address the issue at an upcoming Asean Foreign Ministers' meeting.

First Published: Wednesday, 14 Oct 2026 2:09 PM MYT
Last Modified: Wednesday, 14 Oct 2026 2:09 PM MYT


PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 — Malaysia and Indonesia have begun discussions to explore ways of working together to tackle forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra that have caused transboundary haze.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the discussions involved relevant agencies and ministries from both countries, including the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council (MKN).

“Our secretary-general (Tan Sri Amran Mohamed Zin) has held discussions with MKN, Nadma and the Indonesian side on how we can jointly address these fires. This is the latest development.


“The form of cooperation will depend on the outcome of the discussions, but the authorities of both countries have, for the first time, begun talks on how we can work together to tackle the haze, which appears to be getting worse,” he said.


He was speaking to reporters after attending the handover ceremony for a solar photovoltaic (grid-connected PV) system installation project by the Works Ministry to the Foreign Ministry and three other government premises here today.

He said the discussions marked an initial step by both countries towards finding ways to cooperate in addressing forest fires and the haze, which had persisted for more than a month and was approaching two months.

Mohamad said the prolonged haze had affected not only Malaysia but also threatened the health of people in Indonesia and Singapore.


“Alhamdulillah, both countries, through their respective agencies and foreign ministries, will explore ways to cooperate and help address the forest fires together,” he said.

On Monday, Mohamad was reported as saying that Malaysia would raise the issue of transboundary haze at an Asean Foreign Ministers’ meeting ahead of the bloc’s 49th Summit in Manila next month, to discuss more effective regional mechanisms to tackle the problem. — Bernama