From MOHD YUSOF SAARI
TIANJIN (CHINA), Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia stands ready to extend assistance to Indonesia in addressing the widespread forest and land fires in the country, following President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to accept offers of aid from neighbouring nations.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia appreciates the Indonesian government’s openness to receiving foreign assistance in its efforts to combat the fires.
He noted that although the aid offered by Malaysia may be modest, the Putrajaya administration remains committed to assisting its neighbour, driven by a spirit of friendship and the strong bilateral ties between the two nations.
“We are grateful to the Indonesian government and President Prabowo for being open to accepting foreign assistance to tackle the forest fires.
“Even though the help we have offered is small, Malaysia is prepared to send aid to assist our neighbour,” he said, adding that Malaysia values ​​President Prabowo’s openness on the matter.
He made these remarks to Malaysian journalists during an afternoon tea session, shortly before his departure following the conclusion of a five-day working visit to China today.
Earlier, Indonesian Foreign Ministry official Arrmanatha Nasir reportedly said offers of assistance from neighbouring countries had received approval from President Prabowo, and that technical discussions are now underway to determine the implementation arrangements.
However, Arrmanatha did not specify which countries had offered aid, nor the nature of the assistance currently under consideration.
Malaysia had previously offered to deploy a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 personnel to assist Indonesia in managing the fires.
On Sept 19, Ahmad Zahid announced that President Prabowo had accepted the offer during a meeting held the previous day in Hambalang, West Java.
-- BERNAMA