‘When there is no haze, we send oxygen’: Indonesian official says forest fires are ‘beyond human error’

Indonesian official claims country ‘sends oxygen’ to Singapore and Malaysia when there’s no haze

As haze continues to engulf Malaysia and Singapore, the head of Indonesia’s Government Communications Agency has claimed that the forest and land fires behind it are a natural phenomenon “beyond human error”.

He also claimed that when there is no haze, Indonesia “sends oxygen” to its two neighbours.

Indonesian official says wildfires and haze are natural phenomena

For months, forest and land fires in Indonesia have sent haze across parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia.

The fires have contributed to severe haze across the region, with unusually dry weather linked to El Niño worsening the situation.

Syahganda Nainggolan, head of Indonesia’s Government Communications Agency, addressed concerns over the haze while speaking to reporters on Saturday (10 Oct).

Mr Syahganda said the Indonesian government understood Singapore and Malaysia’s concerns over the air pollution.

However, he maintained that human activity was not to blame for the fires.

“So we also ask all our neighbouring countries to understand that this is happening beyond human error. This is truly a natural phenomenon,” he was quoted as saying.

Many fires are deliberately started, with dry weather helping them spread

Yet human activity has long been a major cause of forest and land fires in Indonesia.

Fire is commonly used as a cheap and quick way to clear vegetation, including for agricultural development.

In August, Indonesian authorities arrested 72 people suspected of starting forest fires. Authorities were also investigating whether companies were involved in deliberately clearing land through burning.

Meanwhile, the ongoing El Niño has brought exceptionally dry conditions to parts of Indonesia, making it easier for fires to start and spread.

The lack of rainfall has also made the fires harder to extinguish, contributing to the severity of the 2026 haze.

Syahganda claims Indonesian forests ‘send oxygen’ to Singapore and Malaysia

Mr Syahganda said Indonesia had been explaining the wildfire situation to its neighbours and was in discussions with Malaysia about jointly tackling the fires.

He then brought up what he described as another contribution Indonesia makes to the region.

We don’t just send haze. When there is no haze, we send oxygen. The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia also comes from our forests.

While forests produce oxygen through photosynthesis, the oxygen we breathe is distributed throughout Earth’s atmosphere, rather than being supplied exclusively by forests in any particular country.

Additionally, estimates vary, but around 50% to 70% of Earth’s oxygen production is attributed to the ocean, primarily through photosynthesis by plankton, including algae and bacteria.

Indonesian officials previously made similar remarks during 2015 haze

Mr Syahganda’s remarks drew criticism and disbelief in Singapore and Malaysia.

“I can’t believe this about Indonesia sending oxygen over. Again!” veteran Singaporean journalist Bertha Henson wrote on Facebook.

The remarks echoed comments made by then-Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla during the severe 2015 haze crisis.

Mr Kalla controversially argued that Indonesia should not have to apologise to its neighbours, saying they benefited from months of fresh air from Indonesia’s forests without expressing gratitude.

They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.

He made a similar argument again in 2016, saying that Singapore and Malaysia did not thank Indonesia for “fresh air” from Sumatra and Kalimantan, and questioning why Indonesia should apologise when haze affected them.

Also read: Why the S’pore 2026 haze is worse & will persist into next year

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Featured image adapted from KOMPAS.com and DenY Krisbiyantoro on Wikimedia Commons.