Malaysia will raise the transboundary haze issue with Indonesian authorities during Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s working visit to Jakarta from Sept 17 to 20, with the government favouring diplomatic cooperation and preventive measures over seeking compensation.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said Malaysia’s approach was to address the issue through structured diplomacy alongside technical coordination with neighbouring countries and Malaysian states.
“While seeking compensation does not necessarily imply definitive liability that must be borne by any specific country, taking preventive measures early would avoid the need to address such sensitive inter-state issues,” he told reporters after chairing the First National Disaster Management High-Level Committee Meeting of 2026 in Kuching today.
He said the haze issue would be among the matters discussed with Indonesian officials, including the country’s environment authorities, as well as Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
“A key topic I will discuss and coordinate with Bapak Gibran (Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka) is the haze problem,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia was also prepared to assist Indonesia in tackling forest and peatland fires in Kalimantan, with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) directed to stand ready to coordinate cloud seeding operations and provide logistical support if formally requested by Indonesian authorities.
Meanwhile, Malaysia is shifting towards an “anticipatory action” approach to prepare for extreme hot and dry weather linked to Super El Niño.
Measures include monitoring hotspots, ensuring firefighting assets are ready, managing peatlands, enforcing laws against open burning and providing health information to the public.
The Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG) and Department of Environment (DOE) have also been asked to assess the use of tube wells as an alternative water source and the refurbishment of existing infrastructure in high-risk areas.
The National Disaster Management Council has approved RM5 million this year for cloud seeding operations and related management, comprising RM2 million for Phase One and RM3 million for Phase Two.
