An Indonesian official’s remarks downplaying the country’s role in the annual forest fires have reignited criticism of Jakarta’s management of the recurring haze crisis affecting Southeast Asia. Syahganda Nainggolan, head of Indonesia’s Government Communication Agency, made the comments on Saturday, asserting that Indonesia exports not only smoke but also oxygen to neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. “We ask all our neighbours to understand that this is beyond human error, this is truly [caused by] nature,” Syahganda said, according to local media. “We’re not just sending smoke. If there’s no smoke, we’re sending oxygen. Singapore and Malaysia’s oxygen comes from our forests.”
Indonesia’s annual forest and peatland fires, which have worsened this year due to slash-and-burn land clearing practices combined with a severe drought linked to a super El Niño event, have caused thick haze to spread across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and parts of the Philippines. Indonesian police have arrested nearly 200 suspects connected to the fires as of late September.
Syahganda’s remarks have drawn sharp responses in Malaysia and Singapore, where social media users expressed sarcasm and disbelief. The statement recalled similar controversial comments made by former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla during the 2015 haze crisis, when he said Indonesia provided “clean air” to neighboring countries for most of the year without receiving thanks.
Foreign policy analysts have criticized Indonesia’s defensive posture, urging a more cooperative approach. Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad, associate professor of international relations at the University of Indonesia, described the comments as unempathetic and diplomatically damaging, warning that they risk portraying Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as a regional antagonist. Melinda Martinus, a fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, stated that framing the haze solely as a natural occurrence discounts the vital governance, land management, and accountability issues involved, potentially undermining regional efforts to address the crisis. Dafri Agusallam, professor at Gadjah Mada University, called the rhetoric “narrow nationalism” and urged Indonesia to engage more constructively with affected neighbors under the 2002 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
Diplomatic exchanges have been ongoing. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim contacted President Prabowo last week to express concern and offer assistance. “The haze situation is indeed worrying. I have personally contacted President Prabowo and he agreed to take the necessary steps,” Anwar said. Malaysia’s foreign and environment ministers have reached out to Indonesian counterparts to coordinate responses, while Anwar directed Malaysia’s foreign minister to engage ASEAN environment officials. However, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday that Indonesia had yet to respond to Malaysia’s offers of help, although he expressed optimism that assistance might not be required.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Armanatha Nasir said he had briefed his Malaysian counterpart on the country’s firefighting measures, which include deploying over 60,000 personnel and utilizing 48 helicopters and aircraft for water bombing and weather modification operations. On Monday, President Prabowo ordered the mobilization of 70,000 forest rangers to combat fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, emphasizing the government’s top priority status for addressing the issue. He also called for strengthened grassroots efforts to prevent future outbreaks.
According to data from Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), as of Monday, approximately 129,899 hectares of peatland had been affected by fires, with 129,260 hectares having been extinguished. The haze crisis remains a significant public health and environmental challenge for Indonesia and its neighbors, underscoring ongoing tensions between national sovereignty concerns and the need for regional cooperation.