TIANJIN: Malaysia has welcomed Indonesia’s decision to accept foreign assistance to fight forest fires, as both countries seek to address the regional haze crisis, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Indonesian government and President Prabowo Subianto for being open to accepting outside help.
“Although the assistance we have offered is small, Malaysia is ready to send aid to help our neighbouring country.
“Thank you, Pak Prabowo, for your openness. As a friendly nation, we stand ready to extend our assistance,” he told reporters after concluding his five-day working visit to Beijing and Tianjin.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said on Thursday (Oct 15) that Prabowo had approved foreign assistance to tackle forest and land fires that have worsened the regional haze crisis, according to Indonesian media reports.
Arrmanatha said discussions on assistance from neighbouring countries had entered the technical stage, involving Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). However, he did not specify which countries had offered help or the form it would take.
He added that tackling forest and land fires was a serious concern for Prabowo.
Meanwhile, Zahid’s five-day visit from Monday to Friday had focused on various key issues including technology transfer, investment and financing for major projects, with China open to considering support for initiatives beyond the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
On security, Malaysia and China discussed strengthening cooperation against cross-border crime, including cyber scams and drug trafficking, as well as intelligence sharing and efforts to revive extradition treaty negotiations.
The proposed treaty would strengthen legal cooperation between the two countries, particularly in dealing with fugitives and cross-border crime.
Both sides also discussed enhancing cooperation under the existing mutual legal assistance framework to facilitate criminal investigations and the exchange of evidence, subject to the domestic laws of both countries.
