Indonesia Denies Accusations That Haze Has Crossed Into Malaysia

Officers extinguished a land fire in Pelintung Village, Dumai City, Riau, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (ANTARA-Aswaddy Hamid)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) denies accusations that smoke haze from forest and land fires (karhutla) that occurred in Indonesia has crossed into Malaysia.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar stated that Malaysia's complaints about Indonesia's haze were not true.

"We continue to follow developments and there is no transboundary haze to Malaysia," he said in an official statement in Jakarta, Monday, October 2, as reported by Antara.

​​​​

Regarding the cross-border smoke image map, his party received a report along with the smoke distribution image map from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center (ASMC) for the period 28-30 September 2023 and up to yesterday afternoon at 16.00 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB).

According to her, there is no cross-border haze from Indonesia crossing into Malaysia.

Based on ASMC monitoring results, she said, for several days the smoke was observed to be moderate to dense in a number of areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

On October 1 2023, smoke began to thicken in Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan) and South Sumatra (Sumsel). However, it was observed that there was no cross-border smoke.

ASMC is a regional collaboration program between the National Meteorological Services (NMSs) of ASEAN member countries. ASMC is organized under the Singapore Meteorological Service.

Meanwhile, BMKG data is based on Himawari satellite monitoring, in images of smoke distribution throughout Indonesia on these three days, smoke was detected in a number of areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Wind direction in Indonesia is generally from southeast to northwest to northeast and no cross-border smoke was detected.

"So it's clear, both of them stated that there was no cross-border smoke," he said.

Furthermore, he said there were various notes from various parties that needed attention. Currently, the Indonesian government is still working to extinguish fires that are burning forests and peatlands in South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan (Kalsel), as well as several other areas on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, including parts of Java.

Various operations were carried out to extinguish the fire, ranging from ground extinguishing, water bombing, to weather modification technology.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry revealed that 203 companies received warnings and 20 companies had been sealed due to the fire, including Malaysian subsidiaries.

"The Indonesian government continues to work hard to overcome this (forest and land fires)," she stressed.