Indonesia to consider help from neighbours to overcome haze

Indonesia is to consider accepting help from neighbouring countries if the haze from the fires in the republic prevails over the next three weeks.

Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno said his country felt that it had the capacity to handle the problem on its own and if it needed assistance from neighbouring countries, it would be coordinated through the ASEAN secretariat.

"Indonesia wants to do it alone first and, if the haze still persists after two or three weeks, we will definitely seek help through ASEAN," he told reporters after attending the opening of the 14th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Meeting, Wednesday.

Singapore had expressed the desire to help Indonesia tackle the haze but the latter did not take up the offer.

Herman said the Indonesian embassy provided daily reports to Jakarta on the Air Pollution Index (API) readings in Malaysia as the Indonesian leaders were concerned over the haze situation here.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo had said that the republic needed three years for results to be seen from the efforts to end the forest fires that were causing the haze in the region.

Herman said several measures had been taken to solve the haze problem, among them building canals and drains to accelerate drainage of water in Central Kalimantan.

To date, 30 plantation companies suspected of being involved in forest burning in Kalimantan were being investigated and their licences would be suspended upon conviction, he said.

However, Herman declined to disclose if the companies involved were Indonesian or foreign companies.