JAKARTA — Malaysia has officially offered assistance to Indonesia in tackling forest fires, including a Bombardier CL-415MP aircraft previously deployed to help its neighbour combat similar fires.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was conveyed to Indonesian Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during a meeting held in conjunction with his four-day working visit to the country, which began today.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the assistance would also include three helicopters and 52 officers and personnel from the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

“The matter will be referred to President Prabowo Subianto for the Indonesian government’s approval,” he told a press conference after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the  Rural and Regional Development Ministry and Indonesia’s Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions here today.

The visit, which runs until September 20, is at the invitation of Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH) in conjunction with the 5th Halal 20 (H20) Summit. 

Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony tomorrow and participate as a panellist in a session on regional halal cooperation.

The MMEA’s Bombardier CL-415MP, which is capable of carrying out aerial firefighting operations, was previously deployed to South Sumatra in 2015, where it dropped 546,000 litres of water during a five-day mission.