Malaysia offers aircraft and helicopters for Kalimantan fires

BOGOR, thekabarnews.com—Malaysia plans to send one firefighting aircraft, three helicopters and 52 personnel to help Indonesia tackle forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan. This follows talks between President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Friday, September 18.

The two leaders met at Prabowo’s residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency. Prabowo welcomed Malaysia’s offer and said the assistance would be sent soon, according to a statement from the Indonesian presidential office. 

The statement did not give an arrival date or say that the aircraft and personnel had already begun operations.

“Malaysia offered assistance to help us tackle forest fires in Kalimantan. I welcomed this offer with gratitude and pleasure,” Prabowo said.

Zahid had outlined the offer a day earlier after meeting Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Jakarta. 

He identified the aircraft as a Bombardier CL-415MP. He also said the personnel would come from Malaysian disaster-management, maritime-enforcement and air-force agencies. However, Malaysia’s offer was subject to Indonesian approval at that stage.

The proposed deployment would add aerial support to the response in Kalimantan. There, crews are working to contain fires and prevent further smoke. 

Zahid said Malaysia’s interest also reflects the risk of haze crossing national borders. 

“We want to help Indonesia address the problem together,” he said.

The cooperation has a precedent. Malaysia deployed the same type of aircraft to South Sumatra in 2015. During a five-day mission, it dropped 546,000 liters of water, according to Bernama. 

That earlier operation offers context for the aircraft’s role. Although it does not establish what the planned Kalimantan mission will achieve, it provides useful information.

Prabowo said Indonesia was developing broader prevention measures so major fires would not recur every few years. 

He also acknowledged assistance from Japan and offers from other countries. He described the fires as an environmental problem whose effects extend beyond Indonesia.

The leaders discussed opportunities in the halal industry as well. Earlier on Friday, Zahid proposed launching an ASEAN Halal Council in 2027, subject to agreement among member states and partners. 

For now, the immediate test of the leaders’ fire-response agreement will be when the promised Malaysian assets arrive. Another factor is how they are integrated into Indonesia’s operations.