Indonesia still mum on Malaysia’s offer of firefighters, says Zahid

 The deputy prime minister says 'we remain optimistic and assume the best' as perhaps Indonesia does not require our assistance.

An Indonesian firefighter at work at a wildfire in south Sumatra last month. (EPA Images pic)

IPOH:

Malaysia is still awaiting a response from Indonesia on an offer to help put out forest and plantation fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan that have caused transboundary haze, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said he had discussed the offer of assistance during a visit to Jakarta last month when he met Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto and a representative of the vice-president.

“The National Disaster Management Agency and the foreign ministry have also written to their respective counterparts, but there has been no response yet,” he said. “We take a positive view that perhaps they do not require our assistance. We remain optimistic and assume the best.”

Zahid, who is chairman of the national disaster management committee, said Malaysia had offered a firefighting aircraft, three helicopters and 52 officers and personnel to assist with firefighting operations in Indonesia.

He also said the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) had received recognition as the second-best rescue team in Asia after Japan. - FMT