Former Indonesian minister criticizes calls to isolate Indonesia over haze

Former Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi has criticized Malaysian MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for suggesting that ASEAN should treat Indonesia as an “outcast” due to recurring transboundary haze issues.

Lutfi argued that the haze crisis should not be used for political grandstanding, noting that Indonesian firefighters have died battling blazes and hundreds of thousands of citizens are affected by smoke inhalation. He emphasized that Malaysian plantation groups control approximately 3.4 million hectares of land in Indonesia, supported by Indonesian licenses and tax exemptions.

Lutfi stated that Malaysian companies operating in Indonesia must also be held accountable for the crisis. He pointed out that a Greenpeace report identified fire hotspots within concessions linked to Malaysian groups, including KL Kepong. He urged for investigations into specific rogue corporations and their supply chains rather than insulting an entire nation of 280 million people.