JAKARTA, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto said on Friday that he would receive assistance from Malaysia to help contain forest and land fires that have been raging for weeks.
• Malaysia has offered three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel to help put out the wildfires, Prabowo said in a statement after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at his house on the outskirts of Jakarta.
• “Malaysia has offered assistance to help us address the forest fires in Kalimantan. I welcome this with gratitude and pleasure,” Prabowo said.
• The fleet and firefighter teams will arrive in Indonesia soon, said Prabowo, without giving further details.
• Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, and its Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni has warned that the wildfires could continue until November this year.
• Transboundary haze has also created unhealthy air conditions in Indonesia’s neighbours Malaysia and Singapore.
• Malaysia’s Hamidi has said he would raise the issue during a working visit to Jakarta from September 17 to September 20.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Xevi Fontdegloria)
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