Hambalang:Putrajaya Malaysia is prepared to offer assistance to Indonesia in tackling the ongoing forest and land fires, following Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's decision to accept aid from neighboring countries.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi expressed appreciation for Indonesia's openness to foreign assistance in combatting the fires. He emphasized Malaysia's commitment to helping its neighbor, highlighting the strong bilateral relations and spirit of friendship between the two nations.

Dr Ahmad Zahid remarked that despite the modest scale of Malaysia's aid, the country is ready to send support. He expressed gratitude to President Prabowo and the Indonesian government for their willingness to receive help. These comments were made to Malaysian journalists during an afternoon tea session before his departure after a five-day working visit to China.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry official Arrmanatha Nasir had earlier indicated that the offers of assistance from neighboring countries were approved by President Prabowo, with technical discussions underway to finalize the implementation arrangements. However, he did not specify the countries involved or the nature of the assistance.

Previously, Malaysia had proposed deploying a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft, three helicopters, and 52 personnel to assist in managing the fires in Indonesia. Ahmad Zahid announced on September 19 that President Prabowo had accepted this offer during a meeting in Hambalang, West Java, the day before.