Singapore Haze: Is Prosecuting Indonesian Firms Possible?
Singapore Faces Renewed Pressure as Haze Reaches Legal Threshold
Kabarsaji.com – Singapore’s worsening haze has again pushed air pollution into levels that could activate the country’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, placing renewed attention on forest and land fires in Indonesia and the companies operating near affected areas.
The law can be used when Singapore’s Pollutant Standards Index, or PSI, remains above 101 — the “unhealthy” category — for at least 24 continuous hours in any part of the country. During the current haze period, that benchmark has been exceeded more than once.
In the central region, unhealthy air persisted for 25 hours between September 4 and September 5, early in this year’s haze season. Pollution later stayed near or within the unhealthy band from October 5, before the PSI reached 192 on the evening of October 9. That marked the longest stretch of unhealthy conditions during the recent episode.
A Law Designed to Reach Beyond Singapore’s Borders
Singapore introduced the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in 2013 after a severe regional haze crisis sent the PSI to a hazardous 401. The legislation was later established in 2014 to give authorities a way to pursue parties whose actions outside Singapore contribute to air pollution inside the city-state.
Companies or individuals found responsible for causing or condoning haze pollution can face financial penalties of up to S$100,000 a day, subject to a maximum fine of S$2 million. The framework is intended to discourage fires used for land clearing and to require operators to prevent recurring outbreaks on land under their control.
Applying the law, however, is difficult. Fire locations may overlap with complicated concession boundaries, shifting land-use claims and layers of ownership. Establishing responsibility can require evidence tying hotspots, burning activity and corporate control to the pollution affecting Singapore.
Indonesia’s long-running fire problem has often been linked to land clearance in areas associated with oil palm and pulpwood plantations, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Fires can spread more easily when dry conditions reduce moisture in vegetation and peatland areas. El Niño periods can intensify those risks by bringing hotter and drier weather, allowing blazes to burn longer and making suppression efforts more challenging.
Investigations and Corporate Responsibility
By the end of September, Indonesian authorities had named 138 individual suspects in connection with the fires and sealed 68 companies holding concessions at fire locations. Environmental group Greenpeace has also identified 20 plantation companies it said were connected to major haze-source areas, including businesses with links to Singapore and Malaysia.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency has said it is closely tracking the haze, gathering information on hotspots, their origins and the effect on Singapore’s air quality. The agency has not confirmed whether it will begin proceedings under the anti-haze law.
Regional coordination remains a central part of Singapore’s response. The country is working with the Jakarta-based Interim ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, which is intended to reduce the impact of fires and help mobilize resources during haze emergencies.
The possibility of enforcement is not merely theoretical. In 2015, the National Environment Agency identified six Indonesian companies associated with fires on concession land and issued legal notices to them. At that time, Singapore’s PSI had climbed above 300, entering the hazardous range.
The notices directed the companies to extinguish fires, cease burning activities and provide plans intended to prevent future incidents. Four of the companies were involved in pulpwood plantations. No fines were ultimately imposed, although investigations involving the pulpwood firms remained open.
Air Quality Remains a Public Health Concern
Air quality across Singapore’s five regions remained unhealthy in the afternoon, with PSI readings ranging from 106 to 148 at 2 p.m. local time. These figures indicate pollution levels that may affect sensitive groups, including children, older people and individuals with heart or lung conditions.
Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, also remained elevated across the island. Hourly readings ranged from 101 to 149. These tiny particles are a particular concern during haze events because they can be carried deep into the respiratory system.
At 3 p.m. local time, Singapore’s Air Quality Index stood at 201, placing it in the “very unhealthy” category. Such readings underline why haze is not only an environmental and diplomatic issue, but also a day-to-day public health concern for people living and working across the island.
The National Environment Agency observed moderate to dense transboundary smoke haze over Singapore, while widespread hotspots continued to be detected in nearby parts of Indonesia. Rainfall may bring temporary improvement by reducing hotspot activity and clearing some smoke from the atmosphere, but it does not remove the risk of haze returning while fires continue in the region.
“While showers may bring some improvement to the hotspot and smoke haze situation, there is still a risk of transboundary haze occurrence.”
The latest episode highlights the limits of relying only on short-term weather changes. Rain can offer relief, yet lasting improvement depends on preventing fires, strengthening land management and ensuring that those responsible for burning are held accountable. For Singapore, the anti-haze law remains one of the strongest legal tools available, even if proving responsibility across national borders continues to be complex.
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