Forestry Minister Raja Juli Says 'Smoke Has No ID Card', Anies Recalls Past Statement: 'I Should Have Registered the Copyright'

The issue of haze from forest and land fires (karhutla) has returned to the spotlight after Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni remarked that smoke can move across national borders. His statement prompted Anies Baswedan to recall a similar phrase he used several years ago when discussing Jakarta’s air pollution.

This occurred because Raja Juli stated that forest fire smoke does not possess an ID card (KTP). He made the remark while discussing the issue of transboundary haze, including smoke from Sarawak, Malaysia, which has the potential to enter Indonesian territory.

According to the Minister, this condition means that haze management is not merely a single-country issue. Indonesia must also cooperate with neighbouring nations to prevent the impacts of air pollution caused by forest fires.