Indonesia and Malaysia cooperate to combat transboundary haze

Indonesia and Malaysia are coordinating efforts to combat transboundary haze caused by forest and land fires in West Kalimantan. The haze has resulted in unhealthy air quality readings across several Malaysian regions, including Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, and Perak. In some areas, the air pollutant index has reached levels as high as 195.

As part of the bilateral response, Indonesia has granted Malaysian agencies permission to enter its airspace to conduct cloud-seeding operations to mitigate the smoke. Both nations have agreed to strengthen cooperation regarding prevention, monitoring, and weather modification. While Malaysia has expressed readiness to assist with firefighting assets, Indonesia has not yet issued a formal request for direct firefighting support, such as water-bombing aircraft.