Indonesia Accepts Malaysian and Singaporean Assistance to Combat Unprecedented Wildfire Crisis

Malaysia and Singapore Offer to Assist with Fire Management, Menko Polkam: Welcome

Indonesia has accepted offers of assistance from Malaysia and Singapore to help combat forest and land fires that have devastated nearly 1.9 million hectares since January, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman announced on Monday.

Speaking after a limited meeting at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on October 19, 2026, Dudung confirmed that Malaysia will provide three aircraft and 52 personnel for firefighting operations. "We've responded to the proposal for assistance. They will be providing three aircraft and 52 personnel. They are welcome to do so," he stated.

Singapore has also offered support, with coordination currently underway through the newly appointed Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Kristomei Sianturi, who assumed the position on October 15. "There will also be assistance from Singapore that will be communicated with the Head of BNPB," Dudung confirmed.

Scale of the Crisis

According to Nusantara Atlas monitoring data, Indonesian wildfires have burned 1,916,588 hectares from January through the end of September 2026, an area nearly 12 times larger than London. Indonesian authorities describe this wildfire season as the most intense in 11 years.

The health impact has been severe, with respiratory infections linked to the fires rising to 113,336 cases as of September 9, roughly double the 50,891 cases recorded just eight days earlier on September 1. More than 12.5 million people across seven Indonesian provinces have been exposed to haze from the fires.

Between September 1 and September 7, Indonesia released 19.7 million metric tons of fire emissions, the highest of any country in the world that week and representing more than a third of the global total.

Regional Impact Drives Cooperation

The transboundary nature of the haze has directly affected neighboring countries, prompting the offers of assistance. Singapore's air quality index reached 194 on October 13, classified as "unhealthy" and placing the city-state second behind Lahore, Pakistan in IQAir's ranking of the world's most polluted major cities. The haze also prompted school closures in East Timor and Malaysia in October.

The regional cooperation builds on Indonesia's ratification of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in September 2014, becoming the last ASEAN member state to join the treaty originally signed in 2002.

Massive Deployment of Resources

Dudung reported that the Indonesian government has already deployed substantial resources to combat the fires, including 47 aircraft and 60,000 personnel. President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an increase in the deployment of Indonesian National Armed Forces and police personnel, along with relevant agencies and community members.

The president has also instructed a boost in aerial operational capabilities.

"Earlier, it was also directed to the Commander of the TNI to use dry ice which is currently being carried out using Casa aircraft; this has now been ordered to use Hercules,"

Dudung explained, referring to the shift to larger aircraft for enhanced firefighting capacity.

Priority Areas

Six provinces have been prioritized for firefighting efforts:

• Riau
• Jambi
• South Sumatra
• West Kalimantan
• Central Kalimantan
• South Kalimantan

As of October 9, these provinces recorded 7,555 hotspots and 196 fire spots.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated on September 19 that President Prabowo approved Malaysia's offer during their meeting in Hambalang, West Java, the day before. Similarly, Singapore's Minister of Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu stated on October 10 that she contacted Indonesia's Minister of Environment and Forestry, Jumhur Hidayat, to offer support in addressing the fires.