Indonesian Foreign Ministry Responds to Malaysia's Plan to Raise Karhutla Issue at ASEAN Summit

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenlu RI) has emphasized that the government is seriously addressing the issue of forest and land fires (karhutla) affecting several regions in Indonesia.

This statement was made in response to the Malaysian government's plan to raise the issue of forest and land fires occurring in Indonesia at the upcoming ASEAN ministerial meeting in the Philippines in November 2026.

"We believe this is an issue that needs to be addressed seriously, and the Indonesian government is very committed to resolving it," said Kemenlu spokesperson Vahd Nabyl Mulachela during a press conference on Thursday (22/10/2026).

Vahd acknowledged the concerns expressed by neighboring countries regarding the impacts of the fires.

However, he stated that there is already a mechanism within ASEAN to discuss the issue of karhutla, which is currently operational.

"The ASEAN mechanism for addressing this issue is already established, operational, and in place," Vahd noted.

Furthermore, Vahd indicated that Indonesia is committed to a spirit of cooperation and dialogue in resolving this issue and is open to considering implementation based on ground conditions.

He added that Indonesia's Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir has also shared his views on technical handling and cooperation with partner countries.

"The Minister has conveyed that, fundamentally, the government views any assistance from partner countries as aligned with the needs discussed at the technical level. However, within the context of ASEAN itself, it is one of many cooperation mechanisms already existing to address this issue," he said.

Malaysia to Raise Karhutla Issue at ASEAN Summit

Earlier, the Malaysian government announced its intention to bring up the issue of transboundary haze at the upcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines, next month.

This step is aimed at encouraging the establishment of a more effective regional mechanism to address the haze crisis caused by forest and land fires in Southeast Asia.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated that the haze issue requires special attention, as it is not currently covered by ASEAN's existing natural disaster response mechanisms, as reported by Bernama on Monday (12/10/2026).