Malaysia and Indonesia will step up prevention and early firefighting efforts against transboundary haze as both countries seek to improve air quality ahead of Malaysia’s National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said.
Arthur said the commitment was discussed during a phone call with Indonesian Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat on Monday, with El Nino expected to strengthen towards October 2026 alongside the Southwest Monsoon.
Malaysia also welcomed Indonesia’s approval for Malaysian authorities to cross its airspace to conduct cloud seeding operations in areas along the border. The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and Malaysian Meteorological Department are preparing an operation schedule to be coordinated with Indonesia’s military.
Arthur said Malaysia was also prepared to assist Indonesia in extinguishing fires if required, with any such deployment to be brought to the Cabinet for consideration.
He said Malaysia supported Indonesia’s intensified efforts under President Prabowo Subianto, including deploying an additional 1,500 military personnel, using large-capacity helicopters for water bombing and conducting more aggressive weather modification operations.
The Ministry will continue monitoring hotspots and air quality through the Department of Environment and MetMalaysia while maintaining close coordination with Indonesian authorities.
As of 10am Monday, 10 areas across four states recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings, with Serian, Sarawak recording the highest reading and nearing the very unhealthy category.
