Singapore looking into which companies responsible for haze-causing fires: PM Wong

SINGAPORE – Singapore is looking into which companies may be responsible for haze-causing fires, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Where warranted, Singapore will take action under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and also explore joint action with other countries, he added in a Facebook post on Oct 15.

“We cannot control the weather or the winds, nor can we directly control what happens beyond our borders.

“But we will do everything we can to protect Singaporeans, while working with our neighbours to address the underlying causes of the haze,” said PM Wong.

He noted that the haze stems from forest and peatland fires in Indonesia, which are made worse by the extended dry period.

“We have offered our assistance to Indonesia, and will continue working closely with them and our ASEAN partners to address the issue,” he added.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir said on Oct 15 that his country will accept foreign help to fight the forest fires responsible for the haze blanketing parts of South-east Asia.

“Regarding the assistance that has been offered by neighbouring countries, this has been discussed, and it is currently being processed. As we know, the President (Prabowo Subianto) has already expressed his approval, and the matter is currently under discussion at the technical level,” he said.

Within Singapore, the Government is distributing masks, including N95 masks, to vulnerable Singaporeans, and making air-conditioned shelters available at community clubs and selected Residents’ Network and Residents’ Committee centres.

PM Wong said support will be available to those who need it. “The worsening haze is affecting all of us, so please take care of yourself and those around you,” he added.

The PSI in Singapore hit a season high of 212 in the west at noon on Oct 15.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu had said on Oct 14 that Singapore is “keeping its options open” on whether it will take action against errant companies under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

“We have to look at the data that we are collecting now, and the options are there for us to pursue,” she said.

“We are keeping our options open and will give due consideration to the data that we’re collecting, and we will share with you in due course.”

The law, which was enacted in 2014, targets those responsible for causing or condoning fires if the haze causes the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) to stay in the unhealthy range in any part of Singapore for 24 hours or more. Air quality is considered unhealthy when PSI levels are 101 and above.

Those found guilty can be fined up to $100,000 a day, capped at a total of $2 million.

According to an investigation by environmental group Greenpeace, two Singapore-listed palm oil companies, Bumitama Agri and First Resources, have been linked to plantation areas in Indonesia where fires and smoke were detected.

Another privately held company, First Borneo Plantations, which has ownership links to Singapore-incorporated companies, was also named in the Oct 5 report.