Indonesia Pressured to Tighten Crackdown on Polluters, Accept More Help as Haze Worsens

JAKARTA – The Indonesian government is under pressure to tighten its crackdown on polluters and accept more international assistance in putting out forest and peatland fires, as transboundary haze continues to choke the region.

The fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra have reached a critical phase this year, producing toxic smog that blankets neighbouring countries, including Malaysia and Singapore.

On Sunday (Oct 11), the Malaysian Department of Environment reported unhealthy Air Pollution Index (API) readings in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and 12 other locations, or about one-fifth of all monitored areas nationwide. Johor, Malaysia’s second most populous state, announced a week-long closure of all schools and educational institutions starting Monday, citing rising public health risks.

In Singapore, air quality readings were also at unhealthy levels on Sunday. The city-state is considering suspending classes and national examinations if pollution reaches the “hazardous” level.

Indonesia Pressured: 60,000 personnel deployed

In Indonesia, around 60,000 joint personnel have been deployed to fight the fires across six provinces prioritised for aerial firefighting and weather modification operations: South Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has also reasserted its compliance with the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, the regional framework that requires regular reporting on fire activity data and firefighting responses. The statement came as the regional haze worsened over the past few weeks, prompting Singapore and Malaysia to offer firefighting assistance.

Offers of assistance

On Saturday, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who has been in touch with her Indonesian counterpart Jumhur Hidayat, said she was aware of the ongoing efforts in Indonesia and that Singapore “stands ready with assistance to combat the fires, as we have done in previous years”.

Malaysia first offered help in September, including three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel to help put out the fires. The offer was welcomed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

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Indonesia Pressured – Fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra have reached a critical phase, pushing air quality to unhealthy levels in Malaysia and Singapore, with Johor closing all schools for a week.