In Malaysia, Riau Police Chief Speaks on Forest and Land Fires and Mutual Assistance in Handling Them
Riau Police Chief Inspector General Herry Heryawan attended a strategic meeting with the police of Johor Bahru and Melaka in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. At the meeting, the Police Chief presented the current situation and the handling of forest and land fires (karhutla) occurring in Indonesia, particularly in Riau Province.
In his presentation, Inspector General Herry Heryawan stated that karhutla handling in Riau is carried out through mutual cooperation involving various elements. Around 3,030 personnel have been deployed with the support of firefighting equipment, operational vehicles, heavy machinery, drones and personnel safety gear.
“We want to convey to our friends in Malaysia that Riau is working seriously and in a spirit of mutual cooperation in handling karhutla. More than three thousand personnel from various elements are working in the field, supported by land, air and technological assets,” said Inspector General Herry Heryawan on Tuesday (8/9/2026).
The Police Chief stressed that karhutla handling does not begin only when fires emerge. Long before entering the high-risk period, Riau Regional Police, together with the regional government, the XIX Tuanku Tambusai Military Command and all relevant elements, had strengthened prevention and mitigation measures, especially in facing weather dynamics and the threat of El Niño, which increases the risk of drought and fires.
Preventive efforts were carried out through socialisation of the ban on land clearing by burning, the installation of warning signs, patrols and monitoring of vulnerable areas, community involvement, and the use of technology to detect and monitor fire hotspots. Infrastructure readiness was also strengthened with 19 boreholes, 1,390 water reservoirs, 1,988 canal blockages and 313 watchtowers to support both prevention and response when fires occur.
“We work from upstream to downstream. It is not only about extinguishing once a fire appears. Prevention, education, early detection and the readiness of all elements are undertaken from the start, followed by firefighting, cooling down and law enforcement when violations occur,” he said.
In his presentation, the Police Chief stated that from January to August 2026, the area of land burned in Riau reached 17,525.80 hectares. In addition to prevention and firefighting, Riau Regional Police are enforcing the law against parties allegedly responsible for the fires. To date, Riau Regional Police and their units have handled 45 karhutla cases with 49 suspects, with the area of land related to these cases amounting to approximately 2,958.04 hectares.
“We continue to enforce the law firmly. The message is clear: no party may profit by damaging the environment and burning forests or land,” Herry asserted.
At the forum, the Police Chief also presented the wind direction and smoke distribution conditions in several regions of Indonesia. The discussion was relevant given Riau’s geographical proximity to the Malay Peninsula and the importance of exchanging information on environmental developments in the region.
“Riau and Malaysia are located in a very close region. Therefore, environmental issues also require communication and openness. We are conveying the existing situation and what we have done, while ensuring that all elements in Riau continue to work to control karhutla,” said Inspector General Herry.
Green Policing Innovation
As a form of modern policing approach, Riau Regional Police have initiated the concept of Green Policing, which combines Problem Oriented Policing and Community Policing. Through this preventive, repressive and restorative approach, during the 2025-2026 period Riau Regional Police succeeded in saving 3,423.54 hectares of land from environmental crime.
Law enforcement efforts have also been strengthened with restoration and rehabilitation through the planting of 246,791 trees, projected to absorb 5,429.4 tonnes of carbon. In addition, early detection is being carried out through the development of the digital application Smart App Green Policing, including a Waste to Energy project in Pekanbaru as a long-term step in protecting the environment.
The meeting in Johor Bahru formed part of the Bilateral Border Security Meeting held on 7-9 September 2026. The forum aimed to strengthen the network of cooperation and communication between Malaysian and Indonesian security forces and to maintain the security and stability of the border region.
During the visit, the Riau Police Chief was accompanied by the Head of the Special Crime Investigation Directorate, Senior Commissioner Ade Kuncoro Ridwan, the Head of the General Crime Investigation Directorate, Senior Commissioner Hasyim Risahondua, the Head of the Water and Air Police Directorate, Senior Commissioner Apri Fajar Hermanto, and the Head of the Narcotics Investigation Directorate, Senior Commissioner Putu Yudha Prawira.
From the Malaysian side, the meeting was attended by, among others, the Chief of Police of Johor, Commissioner of Police Dato’ Ab Rahaman Bin Arsad, the Chief of Police of Melaka, Deputy Commissioner Datuk Wira Dzulkairi Bin Mukhtar, the Deputy Chief of Police of Johor, Deputy Commissioner Hoo Chuan Huat, as well as officers from the Johor and Melaka police forces. The Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Johor Bahru, Sigit Suryantoro Widyanto, also attended the meeting.