President Jokowi: Some Countries, Willing to Help Indonesia in Overcoming the Smoke Disasters

President Jokowi answered the journalists question on the sidelines of the review to the MRT tunnel, in Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (8/10) morning

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that the handling of the smog in Sumatra and other regions is still ongoing. The President said the government will continue to mobilize all capabilities to be able to quickly extinguish forest fires in Indonesia.

“After this, we are going to Riau, Jambi, West Sumatra, also to South Sumatra, that exposed to the smog. Until now we are concentration, we are meeting for the deployment, because yesterday we saw the hotspots is still very red,” President Jokowi said to reporters, on the sidelines of a review of the construction of the MRT project, in Tugu Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (8/10 ) morning.

About the smog disaster, President Jokowi expressed, Indonesia has requested the assistance to some countries to immediately stop it. Some countries had already expressed their willingness to help, namely Singapore, Russia, Malaysia, and Japan.

“We have asked for help and assisted by Singapore is still in the process, Russia and Malaysia and then Japan. We expect the future can speed up the handling, because it is to handle the peatland fires in contrast to handle the usual forest fires. Very different, ” President Jokowi said as he mentions the help from other countries in the form of water transport aircraft capable of carrying water with a capacity of 12 to 15 tons.

Presiden Jokowi berharap dengan adanya bantuan tersebut dapat mempercepat pemadaman api dan menghentikan bencana kabut asap di Indonesia.

“Ada 3 pesawat dari Singapura, dari Rusia juga. Karena yang kita butuhkan saat ini adalah pesawat pesawat pengangkut air 12 ton atau 15 ton. Tidak seperti yang sekarang yang hanya 2-3 ton,” pungkas Jokowi.

President Jokowi hoped that such assistance can accelerate the fire fighting and stop the haze of smoke disaster in Indonesia.

“There are 3 planes from Singapore, from Russia as well. Because we need now is the aircraft carrier water 12 tons or 15 tons. Not as it is now only 2-3 tons,” Jokowi said. (FID/DND/DNS)/Sy.