Story perspectives

Singapore Rejects Indonesian Oxygen Claim Amid Haze Crackdown

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 6:19 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Shanmugam Rejects Claim

Senior Minister K Shanmugam said an Indonesian official’s claim that Singapore’s oxygen comes from Indonesia’s forests is not right.
He added that haze from illegal fires harms seniors, children and people with illnesses across the region.
Shanmugam praised President Prabowo Subianto for dismissing the disaster agency head and appointing a lieutenant-general.
He noted Prabowo banned slash-and-burn on peatland, prioritized fire prevention and approved Singapore’s assistance offer.

Summary

NEA Issues Notices

National Environment Agency issued legal notices to seven firms and preventive notices to three Indonesian firms, totaling ten.
Singapore Exchange queried seven agribusinesses, including Golden Agri Resources and Wilmar, about possible haze links.
Monetary Authority of Singapore will supervise banks' assessment of environmental and legal risks tied to loans for implicated firms.
Law Minister Shanmugam warned Singapore may amend or introduce legislation urgently to ensure corporate cooperation.

History

Historical Context

The 1997 Indonesian forest fires, which blanketed Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok in thick haze, prompted regional alarm and diplomatic strain. ASEAN’s 2002 Transboundary Haze Pollution Agreement, signed by Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, set a $1 billion fund for fire-suppression equipment. Today's legal notices to ten Indonesian firms and Singapore’s pending haze legislation echo the agreement’s enforcement gaps, as corporations like Golden Agri Resources and Wilmar face scrutiny. If ASEAN’s mechanisms remain under-utilized, the region risks recurring health crises and economic losses exceeding $2 billion, pressuring governments to tighten cross-border environmental law.

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Shanmugam Rejects Claim

Senior Minister K Shanmugam said an Indonesian official’s claim that Singapore’s oxygen comes from Indonesia’s forests is not right.
He added that haze from illegal fires harms seniors, children and people with illnesses across the region.
Shanmugam praised President Prabowo Subianto for dismissing the disaster agency head and appointing a lieutenant-general.
He noted Prabowo banned slash-and-burn on peatland, prioritized fire prevention and approved Singapore’s assistance offer.

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