Indonesia will not declare its ongoing forest and land fires a national disaster for now, insisting that it remains capable of managing the crisis despite concerns over transboundary haze affecting neighbouring countries, including Malaysia.
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said the decision was reached during a limited cabinet meeting chaired by President Prabowo Subianto at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
“Not yet, not yet. We are still capable of handling it,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Dudung said offers of international assistance were not discussed during the meeting, although he acknowledged concerns raised by neighbouring countries over the fires and resulting haze.
“There has been feedback from other countries regarding these forest fires, but we have made maximum efforts,” he said, expressing hope that the situation would be resolved soon.
On October 8, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had contacted Prabowo over the haze issue and conveyed Malaysia’s readiness to help extinguish the fires.
Meanwhile, Dudung said Prabowo had ordered firefighting efforts to focus on Tanjung Puting National Park and other affected areas in Central Kalimantan, as well as South Sumatra.
“Tanjung Puting and the areas surrounding the national park must be protected because there is wildlife there,” he said.
The national park is internationally recognised for its orangutan conservation and rehabilitation programmes.
Earlier on Monday, Indonesian House of Representatives Commission IV member Daniel Johan urged the government to declare the prolonged forest and land fires a national disaster and remain open to international assistance, including Malaysia’s offer to support firefighting operations.
Daniel said the scale of the crisis required regional cooperation and that accepting foreign assistance should not be viewed as a sign of weakness.
Separately, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni warned that authorities must remain on alert for another month, as rain was not expected in several parts of Indonesia until mid-November or December.
During an inspection of firefighting operations at the Liang Anggang Forest Reserve in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Monday, he said the government was preparing to suspend or revoke the business licences of another five or six companies over fire-related violations.
Action has already been taken against 26 companies, including five forestry concession holders in Kalimantan whose licences were revoked on September 21, he said.
The concessions cover approximately 92,464 hectares, of which an estimated 1,169 hectares have been affected by fires.
