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View all search resultsMalaysia cloud-seeding assist tests Indonesia’s limits as haze crosses borders
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A drone view shows the Ampera Bridge shrouded in haze from wildfires in Palembang, South Sumatra, August 23, 2026. (Reuters/Abriansyah Liberto)
M
alaysia has offered to assist Indonesia in combating forest and land fires that have fueled the latest wave of transboundary haze, including by conducting cloud-seeding operations in Indonesian airspace, as worsening conditions put pressure on Jakarta to step up its response.
The offer was unveiled on Monday after Malaysian Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup had a phone conversation with his Indonesian counterpart Jumhur Hidayat, during which they discussed efforts to address forest fires as well as the transboundary haze blanketing the region.
Arthur said in a statement that Malaysia stood ready to provide assistance to Indonesia in extinguishing fires, adding that “should the Indonesian government make any specific request, the matter will be brought before the [Malaysian] cabinet for further consideration and a decision”.
He also thanked Jakarta for granting Malaysia permission to use Indonesian airspace for cloud-seeding operations in shared border locations, noting that Malaysia’s disaster management agency and meteorological department are now preparing an operational schedule, which will be coordinated with the Indonesian Military (TNI).
The move comes as forest and peatland fires blaze across Indonesia, fueled by prolonged dry season and an intensifying El Niño, with thousands of hot spots detected in Kalimantan and on Sumatra, triggering a transboundary haze now threatening neighboring countries, such as Malaysia.
Malaysia’s Sarawak, which borders three of Indonesia’s Kalimantan provinces, has been worst hit by the haze. Six districts recorded unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings on Monday, according to data released by Malaysia’s environment department. Nearly 600 schools in the state were closed, while authorities urged residents to limit outdoor activities.
Experts have warned the worst could be yet to come as the intensifying El Niño phenomenon and the southwest monsoon increase the risk of severe forest fires heading into October, while the rains that could extinguish the fires look unlikely before November.
