ASEAN NETWORK NEWS | Malaysia has expressed its readiness to strengthen cross-border cooperation with Indonesia to address forest and land fires that have the potential to send smoke across national borders. The cooperation is expected to focus on improving coordination, monitoring, information sharing, and responses to fires in border areas.
The issue has drawn renewed attention as smoke from fires in parts of Kalimantan has reportedly affected air quality in neighboring areas of Malaysia, particularly Sarawak. The situation highlights the importance of closer coordination between the two countries in dealing with the recurring problem of transboundary haze.
Indonesia and Malaysia share a land border on the island of Borneo. This geographic proximity means that smoke from forest and land fires in Indonesia can potentially move into Malaysian territory, depending on wind patterns and atmospheric conditions.
The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that satellite monitoring detected smoke moving into Malaysian territory bordering West Kalimantan on several occasions in August 2026. The movement of smoke was associated with prevailing wind conditions that carried smoke from fire-affected areas in Indonesia toward Malaysia.
Reports on air quality in Malaysia have also raised concerns over the impact of the haze. Several areas in Sarawak were reported to have experienced deteriorating air quality, prompting increased public attention to the potential health and environmental consequences.
Malaysia's willingness to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia reflects the cross-border nature of the haze issue. Forest and land fires occurring in one country can affect communities, public health and environmental conditions in another country.
Cooperation could include the exchange of information on hotspots, satellite monitoring, weather and wind conditions, as well as coordination between authorities operating near the border.
The two countries have previously worked together within broader regional efforts to address transboundary haze pollution. Such cooperation is also linked to ASEAN mechanisms designed to strengthen regional coordination in preventing and responding to haze-related problems.
Haze can affect daily activities and create health concerns, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, older people and individuals who are sensitive to air pollution.
Authorities in affected areas may issue public health advisories when air quality deteriorates. Residents can be advised to monitor official air-quality information and limit outdoor activities when pollution levels reach unhealthy categories.
However, the source of haze must be established through reliable data. Smoke observed in a particular area cannot automatically be attributed to a specific fire without verification using satellite observations, hotspot data and meteorological information.
Forest and land fires remain a recurring challenge in Indonesia, particularly during periods of dry weather. Effective management requires not only firefighting operations but also prevention, monitoring of fire-prone areas and law enforcement against parties proven to have violated regulations.
Cross-border cooperation can strengthen these efforts, particularly in areas close to the Indonesia-Malaysia border. Faster information exchange could help authorities identify developing fires, monitor smoke movement and coordinate responses before the situation worsens.
Malaysia's readiness to strengthen cross-border cooperation with Indonesia underscores the need for joint efforts to address forest and land fires and their potential transboundary impacts.
Bilateral coordination, combined with existing ASEAN mechanisms, could support efforts to improve fire prevention, monitoring and emergency response. The effectiveness of the cooperation will depend on its implementation, including the speed of information exchange and measures to prevent fires from recurring.
As of the latest available information, further details regarding the specific technical mechanisms, implementation schedule and operational arrangements of the proposed cooperation have not been fully disclosed.
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