PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia is awaiting official confirmation from the Indonesian government before deploying military and rescue assets to assist in suppressing forest fires causing transboundary haze across the region.
Communications Minister and Unity Government spokesperson Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil confirmed today that the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and the Foreign Ministry have already submitted a detailed inventory of available assistance assets to Indonesian authorities.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference, Fahmi stated that Jakarta has yet to confirm standard operating frameworks or approve the mobilization of Malaysian personnel and equipment to the affected zones.
“As of now, there has been no formal response or confirmation regarding the deployment of these assets,” Fahmi said.
The offered relief initiative follows recent directives from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim calling for urgent improvements to existing ASEAN mechanisms to mitigate recurring transboundary haze.
Anwar stressed that regional ministers must address the environmental crisis aggressively, citing severe public health risks posed to vulnerable populations, particularly infants and young children. -MalayaDailyToday
