/file/attachments/orphans/342352423_966257.png)
No solid evidence Malaysian companies caused fires in Indonesia - environment minister
PARLIAMENT | The government has maintained its stance that there is no conclusive evidence linking Malaysian plantation companies to the fires in Indonesia that caused months of transboundary haze.
This came after an Indonesian NGO alleged in its report that it had identified 21 Malaysian-linked companies involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia.
However, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup disputed this...
PARLIAMENT | The government has maintained its stance that there is no conclusive evidence linking Malaysian plantation companies to the fires in Indonesia that caused months of transboundary haze.
This came after an Indonesian NGO alleged in its report that it had identified 21 Malaysian-linked companies involved in forest and land fires in Indonesia.
However, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup disputed this in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“Based on reviews so far, there is no conclusive evidence confirming the involvement of Malaysian-linked plantation companies as the parties responsible for causing the fires,” he said during the winding-up session of the Budget 2027 debate for his ministry.
This aligns with Plantation and Commodities Minister Noraini Ahmad's statement yesterday, which emphasised that no Malaysian plantation companies were involved in forest burning activities in the neighbouring country.
Noraini said Malaysian Palm Oil Board monitoring found that the detected fires did not originate in plantations owned by Malaysian companies, but instead spread from other areas.
/file/attachments/orphans/parlimenmalaysia1_886616.png "Parliament sitting 5h October 2026 Persidangan Dewan Rakyat 501026 Noraini Ahmad")
On Oct 26, Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) claimed that the 21 Malaysian-linked companies were involved in the fires from January to September this year.
According to Walhi's “Actor Mapping Analysis: Who Are Behind the Fires?” report, satellite data recorded at least 30,927 hotspots across Indonesia in the first nine months of this year, with nearly 50 percent located within the operational concession areas of oil palm and forestry plantation companies.
Among the provinces recording the highest concentration of hotspots were West Kalimantan with 9,529 and Central Kalimantan with 7,141, causing the Air Pollutant Standard Index in affected areas to reach unhealthy to hazardous levels.
While some companies named in the report had stated that the fires did not start on their property and instead spread into their area from the outside, which was then extinguished, Walhi's forest and plantation campaigner Umi Ma'rufa insisted that concession holders were responsible under Indonesian laws for preventing fires, regardless of who initially started them.
No compensation mechanism
Elaborating further, Arthur said the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution does not provide a specific mechanism for inter-country compensation claims.
However, Arthur said the government is open to exploring other appropriate legal mechanisms, subject to international law.
He said Malaysia has also offered assistance to Indonesia in the form of firefighting assets and manpower, but any deployment requires Indonesia's agreement and must respect that country's sovereignty.
“So far, we remain ready to offer that assistance,” he added.
/file/attachments/orphans/haze12_209799.png)
/file/attachments/orphans/JohorCorporation111_525540.png)
/file/attachments/orphans/seremban1_642711.png)
/file/attachments/orphans/haze13_999868.png)
These plantation companies in Indonesia, whether they are Malaysian, Singaporean or Indonesian companies operate under the Indonesian environmental and other laws. The Indonesian government has full jurisdiction over these companies. They can impose whatever conditions necessary to ensure their laws are followed by these companies operating in Indonesia under the Indonesian laws. Insinuating that the Malaysian government or Singaporean government are somehow responsible for these companies' operations in Indonesia is nothing but dereliction of duty and responsibility on the part of the Indonesian government. Malaysian and Singapore governments are playing nice to Indonesia just to be helpful and not to harm the relationship with a neighbor and a fellow ASAEN member country. It is time the Indonesian government take some responsibility and ownership to bring the haze situation under control and stop blaming others. I do not believe Malaysia or Singapore will blame Indonesia if the situation is reversed.
Its just semantics. Of course there are Malaysian interests. Most companies would either be shareholders in an Indonesian company or a PMA under Indonesian law. They would not be operating their under their Sbd or listed Bhd Malaysian entities because they are not allowed to do that. Stop playing with words and get prepared for full exposure of those involved and the public pressure to stop them by any means. Do they think they can get away with protecting Malaysian interests profiting from this annual health hazard?
Malaysian do not trust the guvermeny findings anymore. Indonesian party to make public all its findings to all ASEAN countries. Checking proxies companies real owners is one of the many ways companies can evade detection
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.