Malaysia Ready to Send Aid to Combat Forest Fires, Prabowo Welcomes Offer

President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor, for discussions that included cooperation on forest and land fire (karhutla) management. "Today, I had the honor of receiving a visit from the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and his delegation. He is an old friend, so he visited me, and we discussed various issues," Prabowo stated, as seen on Setpres's YouTube channel on Friday (18/9/2026). Prabowo announced that Malaysia is ready to send assistance to tackle the karhutla. The aid will include one aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 firefighters. The President expressed his openness to receiving this support. "Firstly, Malaysia has offered assistance, wanting to help us overcome forest fires in Kalimantan. I responded to this with gratitude and joy," he said. Prabowo noted that support from friendly nations demonstrates that forest fire issues are not solely Indonesia's concern. Besides Malaysia, Indonesia has also received aid from Japan and several other countries that have offered support in managing karhutla. "We have also received assistance from Japan. Then, several countries are offering, so we are very grateful. This is an environmental issue that affects many parties, and although the fires are in Indonesia, the impact is felt by our neighbors, so they want to help us, and we accept it well," he added. Accompanying Prabowo during the meeting were Foreign Minister Sugiono, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya. This collaboration highlights the transboundary nature of environmental challenges in Southeast Asia, where forest fires in one nation can significantly impact air quality and ecosystems in neighboring countries, necessitating regional cooperation.