00:00Malaysia and Indonesia have begun discussions on joint efforts to tackle forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan
00:07as transboundary haze continues to blanket parts of the region.
00:12That's according to Foreign Minister Dato' Sri Mohamad Hassan.
00:15Based on the Air Quality Monitor IQ Air, Kuala Lumpur has remained among the world's most polluted cities for days,
00:23ranking second after Singapore on Wednesday.
00:28Mohamad says Malaysia's Disaster Management and Security Agencies have held talks with Indonesian officials on how to jointly combat the
00:35fires.
00:36While no specific measures have been agreed, he says the discussions mark a first step towards tackling the worsening haze.
00:43Malaysia has offered to send firefighting aircraft, helicopters and personnel to help Indonesia contain the blazers.
00:49But Jakarta says it will first assess offers of foreign assistance to determine how effectively they can support operations on
00:57the ground.
00:58Singapore has also expressed readiness to help Indonesia combat the fires.
01:02Speaking at the Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, Indonesian Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat
01:07said Indonesia aims to extinguish the fires within a month with teams focusing on Central Kalimantan and South Sumatra.
