Malaysia awaits Indonesia's response on haze assistance offers

Malaysia has extended assistance to Indonesia to help tackle the haze problem but is still awaiting a response from Jakarta, according to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The Malaysian official stated that his country remains optimistic about Indonesia's intentions, expressing confidence that Jakarta will eventually engage on the matter. "We assume the best of them," he said, underscoring the diplomatic approach being taken despite the lack of immediate reply. The transboundary haze, often caused by land-clearing fires in Indonesia, has become a recurring environmental challenge affecting air quality across the region, including Malaysia and Singapore. Authorities in the affected countries have repeatedly called for coordinated regional efforts to address the root causes of the pollution, with Malaysia now positioning itself as willing to provide practical support to its neighbour.