Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla is angry. Again.

While officiating the Indonesia Forest Congress in Jakarta on Wednesday, Nov. 30, he hit out at Indonesia's neighbours Singapore and Malaysia, who have taken to complaining when the region gets blanketed with haze produced in Indonesia annually, but never say a word of thanks for fresh oxygen it also produces.

Kalla said:

"Malaysia and Singapore get angry because of the forest fires. It's so easy to say, but you think we also don't feel it? We feel it even more. Secondly, if you get fresh air from Sumatra, Kalimantan, you don't say thank you. So, if you get the haze, why should I apologise?"

“The world has to pay for all of this. Don't always accuse Indonesia. I never want to be accused. Even if we are wrong, why do we still give out so many permits (for land)?"

His tirade came in the midst of even more verbal retaliation where Kalla blamed foreign countries for destroying Indonesia's forests as they use and profit from the land and natural resources for business purposes, and wants them to pay to help restore the damaged land.

He added that Indonesia's peatland restoration efforts should be funded by the international community.

The Peatland Restoration Agency set up last year after the massive forest fires in Indonesia would need at least US$1 billion in funding over five years.

The agency's goal is to restore some two million hectares of damaged peatland.

Forest fires in Indonesia have been a decades-long recurring annual problem as farmers and corporations use the slash-and-burn method, which is the easiest and cheapest way to clear land for plantation.

Singaporeans with no money but hearts of gratitude and who want to thank Kalla can head over to this website with a thank you button that was set up in October 2015 to thank the vocal 73-year-old Indonesian leader.

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