French footballer Kylian Mbappé has lost several brand partnerships in China following backlash over a circulating video in which he appears to discuss a meme depicting him as the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

Mbappe has since apologised. Mbappe's club, Real Madrid, and La Liga have also apologised for the incident.

On Oct. 27, three of his brand partners in China, beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground, announced they were ending their partnerships with him.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV has also reportedly stopped airing La Liga matches and matches involving the Real Madrid forward, and removed adverts featuring him, The Paper reported.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mothership (@mothershipsg)

Discussed memes in backstage interview

The viral clip circulating online appears to show Mbappé being interviewed backstage for French online talk show The Bridge.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aurelien Tchouameni (@aurelientchm)

When asked which meme featuring his face had made him laugh the most, he referred to a video of someone he described as “a Chinese dictator”.

The edit then showed a meme depicting his face superimposed onto Mao’s body. Mbappé did not specifically name Mao in his response.

He added that he often uses the meme with friends while playing PlayStation online.

The footage appears to be connected to his earlier appearance on The Bridge, alongside footballer Achraf Hakimi and comedian Malik Bentalha. That episode was released on YouTube on Apr. 2 this year.

Promotional footage for that episode shows Mbappé wearing the same outfit as in the backstage clip. However, the exact filming date of the short interview has not been established.

The Bridge has since removed the clip from its social media accounts, according to Spanish news outlet elDiario.es.

Brand partners announce end of cooperation

The clip’s recent virality has sparked backlash in China, with some netizens calling for a boycott of Mbappé and urging brands to cut ties with him.

In its Oct. 27 statement, Dongpeng said it firmly opposed behaviour that hurt national sentiments and maintained a zero-tolerance stance towards such conduct. It announced the immediate termination of all cooperation with Mbappé.

Mengniu and Milkground similarly announced that they were ending all cooperation with him, saying they would not tolerate words or actions that hurt the feelings of Chinese people.

The companies did not explicitly identify what prompted their decisions, although the announcements followed the clip’s circulation online.

CCTV halts broadcasts

Citing sources at China Media Group, The Paper reported that CCTV had stopped broadcasting La Liga matches and matches involving Mbappé from the previous evening.

All adverts involving the footballer had also been removed.

Mao remains a revered figure for many in China

Mao, who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949, remains revered by many as the nation’s saviour, and jokes about him are considered taboo, Reuters reported. 

Although the Communist Party has acknowledged serious errors under his leadership, including his responsibility for the Cultural Revolution, it continues to honour his legacy and maintains that his achievements outweigh his mistakes.

Mbappé apologises for remarks

In a statement posted on X on Oct. 27, Mbappé apologised for his “ill-judged” comment.

The statement, issued in French, Chinese and English, acknowledged that his words had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world.

“I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention,” he said. “I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”

A woman locked herself in a Bukit Panjang flat on Oct. 27, which led to a five-hour standoff with the authorities.

The police confirmed with Mothership that they received a call for assistance at about 5:30pm at Block 270 Bangkit Road on Tuesday.

Upon their arrival, a 31-year-old woman was found to have locked herself in her residential unit and might pose a danger to herself, the police said.

Officers from the Crisis Negotiation Unit and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to the incident.

Five hours standoff

Videos posted online of the incident showed officers on the ground, with life air packs deployed at the foot of the block.

The SCDF confirmed with Mothership that they received a call for assistance at 7:30pm and deployed three safety life air packs.

Rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were on standby as a precaution.

At about 10:20pm, the woman opened her door, and police officers were able to gain entry into the unit.

She was subsequently arrested for criminal intimidation, using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, and using offensive language against a public servant.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced in an Oct. 28 media statement that it expects banks to identify, assess, manage and monitor material environmental risks arising from their activities and exposures, including risks associated with pollution and deforestation.

In doing so, banks are also expected to take into consideration relevant information released by the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

Clear stance

MAS said that where customers may be linked to activities contributing to haze, banks should engage them and obtain sufficient information to understand their role and involvement, including whether adequate measures are in place to prevent, detect and stop fires.

Where heightened environmental risks are identified, banks should take appropriate measures to mitigate the risks, it added.

These may include imposing conditions, reviewing financing terms, limiting further exposures or reassessing the customer relationship.

Clear breaches of environmental laws would warrant stronger measures, including limiting exposures or exiting the relationship.

The statement added that MAS supports the local banks' clear stance against burning practices and notes that they will take strong action where warranted.

Expectations

MAS' expectations are set out in the Guidelines on Environmental Risk Management issued in 2020, and further elaborated in the Guidelines on Transition Planning issued in March 2026.

In light of the current situation, MAS has reinforced these supervisory expectations with banks, according to the statement.

Senior leaders of companies

An earlier report mentioned that the 10 Singapore-based companies that have been served legal notices by the National Environment Agency (NEA) over haze links have all acknowledged their receipt.

On Oct. 28, the following ministers met with senior leaders of the 10 Singapore-based companies served legal notices over the transboundary haze:

• Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam,
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and;
• Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu.

During the meeting, SM Shanmugam outlined what the government expects of the companies and how they will be assessed under the notices.

"I have asked to meet you personally because the haze situation is serious. We want to be clear about the government's position. And what we expect from each of you."

Fu also shared that the government also intends to table amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) in Parliament in November.

The 10 firms involved are:

• ⁠Asia Pulp & Paper Company Limited
• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China) Limited
• Bumitama Agri Ltd
• Golden Agri International Pte Ltd
• First Resources Ltd
• Indofood Agri Resources Ltd
• Kencana Agri Ltd
• TSH Global Plantation Pte Ltd
• TSH Oversea Pte Ltd
• Wilmar International Ltd

All were represented at the meeting, with eight representatives present, as Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and TSH Global Plantation and TSH Oversea each shared representatives across their entities.

Joint task force

In addition, Singapore and Indonesia will set up a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires.

The initiative was announced by Indonesian Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir following talks with Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Oct 27 at a joint press conference.

In announcing the proposed task force, Arrmanatha said that "smoke can cross borders, so can money", which is why he said it was important to follow the money trail these companies leave behind.

Arrmanatha said the they discussed establishing a joint task force on "strengthening business responsibility".

He said the proposed task force would facilitate information sharing, financial intelligence and cross-border evidence gathering with, and when possible, asset recovery.

Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA)

Separately, Environment Minister Grace Fu said at the Sustainable Procurement Forum on Oct. 27 that the government is reviewing the effectiveness of the THPA, and will amend it or introduce new laws where necessary.

This would address enforcement gaps, strengthen corporate accountability, and improve Singapore's ability to investigate and take action against those responsible for transboundary haze, she added.

Fu also noted that Singapore is also prepared to use a wider range of legal, regulatory and economic measures.

Where those responsible for the haze have interests in Singapore, scrutiny can come from regulators, investors, financiers and the market, she said.

This has already prompted companies to respond publicly and set out their positions.

She added that companies are accountable not only to regulators, as investors, customers and the public increasingly expect responsible environmental practices.

Related stories

It is not the government's intention to find scapegoats, Senior Minister K Shanmugam told 10 haze-linked companies under investigation.

Speaking at a media doorstop on Oct. 28, Shanmugam, who is also Chairman of the Homefront Crisis Management Committee, shared that he had assured the companies that the "Singapore government will do what is right".

If responsibility is found, those responsible will be held to account. And if there is no wrongdoing found, the government will proceed on that basis as well.

Outlined expectations

The government had met with the senior leadership of these companies on Oct. 28 to outline what the government expects of the companies and how they will be assessed under the notices.

The 10 companies had previously been issued notices by NEA under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

During the meeting, the government said that each company will have to engage an investigative team of specialists and provide them with full access to information, documents, premises and people on their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

"We are determined to act"

Shanmugam told the companies that the point of this exercise is "not to find scapegoats".

"I told them we are determined to act, and that we are giving full attention to this issue, and that we will pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues, and we will use all the powers we have to establish responsibility where there is responsibility, and we will hold those responsible to account," he stated.

"And if the facts show that there is no wrongdoing, we will proceed on that basis as well."

He also expressed that the government expects full cooperation from the firms.

In response, the companies stated that they would "cooperate fully", said Shanmugam.

Others may be responsible

He noted that the government has thus far met with companies registered in Singapore, and there may be others responsible for the haze as well.

"I don't want to give the impression that they are the primary cause or the sole cause of these issues," he said. 

Asked if companies shared any challenges they might face in the investigative process, Shanmugam said that the companies pledged their cooperation, "and that's how the meeting ended."

He also revealed that the names of the companies were made public knowledge for "reasons of transparency".

"If they are cooperating with the government, we think we ought to make that clear to the public.

"And those who are not cooperating – we should also make clear to the public.

A married couple from Malaysia tried to smuggle about RM3 million (S$918,000) into Singapore via the Causeway, but their attempt was foiled owing to the male driver's suspicious behaviour.

The incident occurred at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), the checkpoint in Johor Bahru, on Oct. 27, New Straits Times reported.

The suspects, identified as entrepreneurs aged 41 and 42, were detained by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA).

Driver suspicious

Officers stopped the vehicle for inspection after its driver aroused suspicion, it was reported.

The driver was ordered to open the luggage compartment and passenger seating area.

The cash was found during checks on the Toyota Alphard at the BSI Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex by three officers.

The couple told officers they were travelling to Singapore for a holiday.

Officers found RM1,971,697 (S$617,999) and S$300,000 (RM955,441) in the vehicle stashed in three boxes, a paper bag, and a black backpack.

The couple, cash, and vehicle were handed over to the Customs Department and an investigation is underway.

Cash exceeding US$10,000 (RM40,826 or S$12,820) must be declared when taken out of or brought into Malaysia.

Singaporean Riona Krishnan Dighe was crowned Miss Teen Universe Asia 2026 at the global finals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Oct. 25.

She was also named Miss Popular Choice, an award chosen through online public voting.

This placed her as the audience favourite among more than 30 delegates, a press release stated.

“This is honestly one of the most unforgettable moments of my life,” said Riona.

“Being named Miss Teen Universe Asia is a dream come true, and winning Miss Popular Choice makes it even more special because it means so much to know that people took the time to vote for me and cheer me on."

She expressed her gratitude to those who supported her back home, saying she is grateful to be "living her dream" and hopes that she has made Singapore proud.

Riona’s platform focused on children’s education and access, built on the charity work she has done since she was 11.

Representing Singapore

The teen represented Singapore for the regional title after winning Miss Teen Universe Singapore 2026.

For her talent segment, she performed a traditional Peranakan dance and introduced Singapore’s heritage to an international audience.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Riona 🇸🇬 (@riona.dighe)

More than a pageant queen

Riona was previously Miss Teen London 2024 and first runner-up at Miss Teen Universe UK 2024.

Outside of pageants, she is an international model who has walked the New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks.

She also partnered with local brand Origin Teahouse to launch a limited edition drink to raise funds for Project Pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Riona's other educational achievements include her research on applying natural language processing to Bhutan's Gross National Happiness framework.

Her research was subsequently published in the International Journal of High School Research.

She completed her A-levels at Cheltenham Ladies' College in the UK and is currently reading Business at University College London’s Global Business School of Health.

A man believes his WhatsApp account was recently hacked after his friend received mysterious messages from him, asking her to help him transfer S$1,300 to a bank account.

The friend was willing and ready to help, until she discovered that the phone number linked to the bank account was registered in South Africa.

A big favour

According to screenshots of the chat that Faiz's friend later shared with him, the first message was sent to her at 9:57pm on Oct. 27.

It was sent from Faiz's number, asking if she could help him with "one big favour".

She replied "yes" a few minutes later.

"Faiz" explained that he needed to send S$1,300 to a "friend" but he had hit the daily transfer limit on his own bank account.

He asked if she could help to make the transfer on his behalf, and he would pay her back the next day.

Although the friend felt that it was a big favour, she agreed.

At this point, "Faiz" said that the person she needed to transfer money to was a "seller".

When she wanted to know what item he was buying from this supposed seller, he said they were a furniture seller.

A South African-registered number

The person using Faiz's WhatsApp account then sent her a QR code to make the bank transfer.

Speaking to Mothership, the real Faiz said that a phone number showed up when his friend scanned the QR code.

When she checked the number on WhatsApp, the app told her it was a South Africa-registered number, and this made her suspicious.

The friend, who works with Faiz, held back because she knows he doesn't have any business in South Africa, Faiz told Mothership.

She took a screenshot and sent it to "Faiz", but the person insisted that it was the correct number.

He told her to "relax" and that "everything [is] normal".

Wrote awkward Malay

Faiz's friend then started to message in Malay, suggesting that he wait until the next day so his transfer limit would be reset, since it was already close to midnight.

In English, the person claimed that he would lose his S$300 deposit after that day.

"Can you talk in Bahasa?" the friend asked, again in Malay. "I want to make sure your number isn't used by someone else."

"Faiz" responded by sending her a number that appeared to be a Singapore one, followed by a DuitNow QR code to an account named "LMVH Singapore".

"Please make payment here, dear. I really need your help," he said, finally writing in Malay, but using awkward grammar.

This was the last message before Faiz's friend messaged him on Instagram. She sent him the screenshots of the WhatsApp chat and asked if he had indeed sent the messages.

Faiz called her immediately to tell her it wasn't him.

When he checked his own WhatsApp, there was no record of the messages his friend had apparently received.

'Scary'

A self-professed tech savvy person, Faiz found it "scary" to think that someone had hacked and impersonated him on WhatsApp.

Hoping to warn others to be more careful, he posted about the incident, along with the chat screenshots from his friend, on Instagram.

In his caption, he wrote that the scammer could imitate the way he typed and kept the previous chat history with his friend on screen to trick his friend into thinking it was indeed him.

But there were a few things that made the conversation suspicious.

Faiz rarely talked to this friend on WhatsApp, as they were colleagues and would typically use Microsoft Teams.

The last time he messaged her on WhatsApp was Sep. 29, he said.

The scammer also appeared not to know Malay well and likely used a translation tool, he believed.

He reported the incident to the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, the staff on the phone advised him to log out of WhatsApp and then log back in again, explaining that WhatsApp can only be active on one phone at a time.

They also suggested that he set up two-factor authentication (2FA) on the app for extra security.

On Oct. 28, Senior Minister K Shanmugam met with senior leaders of the 10 Singapore-based companies served legal notices by the National Environment Agency (NEA) under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

He's speaking as the Chairman of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, as well as Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu were both present at the meeting.

All 10 firms were represented at the meeting.

Below is the full text of SM Shanmugam’s remarks to the representatives.

Introduction

Thank you for coming.

I have asked to meet you personally because the Haze situation is serious.

We want to be clear about the Government’s position.

And what we expect from each of you.

The intention of this exercise is not to find scapegoats.

Nor is it to fix blame for public or political reasons.

You know the Singapore Government.

We will do what is right.

From our perspective, we need to deal with issues that affect Singapore.

And we need to be sure that companies which are here conduct their operations in a manner that doesn’t affect Singapore or the region.

Haze has affected daily lives and well-being of Singaporeans.

Air quality reached very unhealthy levels in October.

Vulnerable groups like children, seniors, those with chronic heart or lung conditions, have faced greater health risks during this time.

Haze is caused by fires.

Fires are caused by irresponsible business practices.

It is not a natural phenomenon.

The Government takes this seriously, and we are determined to act.

And we are giving full attention to this issue.

We will pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues.

We will use all the powers we have to establish responsibility, where there is responsibility.

And we will hold those responsible to account.

And if the facts show that there is no wrongdoing – we will proceed on that basis as well.

Expectations

I want to emphasise to you.

You have a corporate presence and stake in Singapore.

And you have a responsibility to ensure that your operations and your supply chains do not contribute to the Haze.

Where there are concerns about a company’s involvement, whether directly or through its corporate relationships or supply chains, we will examine the facts carefully.

We cannot allow corporate structures or third-party arrangements to stand in our way of establishing the facts.

Steps taken

NEA has served Notices under Section 10 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act on your companies since last week.

These are formal Statutory Notices.

They are not routine requests for information.

I will say this plainly: non-compliance with Section 10 is an offence.

We expect your companies to respond fully, accurately, and promptly.

We expect substantive cooperation and transparency, not merely technical compliance or lawyered responses which don’t deal with the substance.

Your companies must make every effort to provide the information needed to establish the facts.

Assessment of Companies

We announced last week: The Government will set up a Panel of Assessors.

We would like to have expert assessment confirming that your company was or was not involved in any fires that caused or contributed to the Haze.

We have created a specialist Panel of Assessors. We will be announcing their appointments soon, within the next two days.

Davinder Singh Chambers LLC (DSC) will serve as the Government’s Advisor, in respect of these matters. DSC will, in addition, also oversee the coordination of the Panel’s work.

The process will work in this way.

One of your identified companies will have to engage a team comprising an Investigations Firm and a Law Firm, to advise the Investigations Firm.

These will be from the Panel, as directed by NEA.

The Investigations Firm will often need legal support from lawyers on their Report.

The work to be done for the Report by all the Firms on the Panel will be co-ordinated and directed by DSC.

To be clear, the Law Firms will advise the investigations firm, and not the companies.

The companies can of course get their own legal advice.

The Panel Team appointed to your company will be your company’s appointees.

Payment will be made to them by the companies.

NEA will provide the Assessors with relevant terms of reference, areas, issues, questions, that they would like the Assessors to look at.

Your company is expected to give the Assessors full access to information, documents, premises, people, etc, on your operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

The Assessors may need to engage third parties or other experts to assist with the Assessment.

Some examples include remote sensing, and geospatial analysts to analyse satellite hotspot data.

The Assessors will submit a Report, containing their findings, to the NEA, through DSC.

NEA will take this Report into account when assessing further steps.

Many of you have expressed a commitment to cooperate fully with the Government.

We welcome that.

If your Company is not involved in any way in the fires, and your supply chains are clean, the Assessment should help to establish that fact and address our concerns.

If there have been lapses, these will have to be dealt with.

We will take into account the level of cooperation you have given.

Legislative Amendments

At the next Parliamentary sitting next week, the Government intends to table amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, to give legal force to the framework I have just outlined.

NEA will be empowered to issue a formal direction to any entity suspected of contributing or being connected to the fires.

NEA will be able to direct that the entities appoint Assessors.

A failure by an entity to comply with the direction would be an offence.

The legislation will provide that Assessors will have full access to documents and information, and access to sites, facilities, as they decide to be necessary.

The Assessors will be empowered to look into the entity’s operations, corporate relationships, and supply chains.

They will seek to establish whether the entity is in any way involved in causing or contributing to fires that have led to haze pollution in Singapore.

The Assessors will then issue a Report to NEA.

Failure to provide full co-operation will be an offence. I hope that NEA need not reach the stage of having to make a direction to you.

It is in all of our interests if you: can agree to submit to the process today, and proceed with the engagement of the Assessors soon.

Without having to have a formal Notice issued under law.

We will be announcing the names of CEOs and companies who voluntarily committed to going through the Assessor process.

The Government will update Singaporeans of the status of the exercise.

This is not going to be a one-off process. We intend for there to be regular evaluations and certifications by the Assessors.

Conclusion

I want to conclude by emphasising three points.

First, the Haze has caused real harm to Singapore and Singaporeans.

We cannot treat this as an unavoidable fact of life or business.

The health and well-being of Singaporeans must come first.

Second, the Government is determined.

We will pursue the facts and evidence for as long as it takes and strengthen our laws as needed.

It cannot be Business As Usual, even after the Haze is over.

Third, we expect full cooperation and compliance.

We hope that you will ensure your companies work constructively with our agencies.

We will take any questions now.

• Senior Minister, Chairman of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam,
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and;
• Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu;

met with senior leaders of the 10 Singapore-based companies served legal notices over the transboundary haze on Oct. 28.

During the meeting, SM Shanmugam outlined what the government expects of the companies and how they will be assessed under the notices.

"I have asked to meet you personally because the haze situation is serious. We want to be clear about the government's position. And what we expect from each of you."

He also revealed that the government also intends to table amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) in Parliament in November.

The 10 firms involved are:

• ⁠Asia Pulp & Paper Company Limited
• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China) Limited
• Bumitama Agri Ltd
• Golden Agri International Pte Ltd
• ⁠First Resources Ltd
• Indofood Agri Resources Ltd
• Kencana Agri Ltd
• TSH Global Plantation Pte Ltd
• TSH Oversea Pte Ltd
• Wilmar International Ltd

All were represented at the meeting, with eight representatives present, as Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and TSH Global Plantation and TSH Overseas each shared representatives across their entities.

"Not routine requests for information"

SM Shanmugam said all companies have a corporate presence and stake in Singapore, as well as a responsibility to ensure that their operations and supply chains do not contribute to the haze.

The government takes this seriously and is determined to act, he stressed.

"We will pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues. We will use all the powers we have to establish responsibility, where there is responsibility.

And we will hold those responsible to account.

And if the facts show that there is no wrongdoing – we will proceed on that basis as well."

On Oct. 23, it was announced that the National Environment Agency (NEA) served legal notices under the THPA to the 10 firms.

Through the notices, it is seeking details on the companies' links to associated firms, their land concessions, fire prevention measures, and firefighting efforts by the firms or their associated companies on the ground.

"These are formal statutory notices," SM Shanmugam said. "They are not routine requests for information."

Representatives of firms that do not comply with the notices face a fine of up to S$5,000, up to one month's jail, or both.

"We expect your companies to respond fully, accurately, and promptly.

We expect substantive cooperation and transparency, not merely technical compliance, or lawyered responses which don’t deal with the substance.

Your companies must make every effort to provide the information needed to establish the facts."

Assessments

SM Shanmugam also outlined the assessment process during the meeting.

Each company is expected to engage a team of assessors from a Specialist Panel of law, audit and investigative firms with expertise in cross-border inquiries that the government will set up.

Each team comprises an investigations firm and a law firm that advises the investigations firm, not the company.

The teams will be assigned by NEA, which will set their terms of reference, areas, issues, and questions they would like the assessors to look at, and the companies will pay them.

Companies are expected to give assessors full access to information, documents, premises and people on their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

Assessors may engage third parties, such as remote sensing and geospatial analysts who analyse satellite hotspot data.

Assessors will then submit a report to NEA through law firm Davinder Singh Chambers (DSC LLC), the government's appointed adviser, which coordinates the panel's work.

This report will be considered by NEA when assessing further steps.

SM Shanmugam said the assessment should help clear companies that are not involved in the fires and have clean supply chains.

Any lapses will have to be dealt with, and the level of cooperation will be taken into account.

Amendments to the THPA

The amendments to the THPA will give legal force to this framework, SM Shanmugam said.

Under them, NEA will be able to direct any entity suspected of contributing or being connected to the fires to appoint assessors, and failure to comply will be an offence.

Assessors will also have full access to documents, information and sites, and can look into an entity's operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

Failure to cooperate fully will also be an offence.

SM Shanmugam urged companies to agree to the process immediately and engage assessors soon, without waiting for a formal notice.

He added that they will be naming the CEOs and companies that voluntarily commit, and will update members of the public on it.

It will not be a one-off process, he added, as the government intends for there to be regular evaluations and certifications by assessors.

Government is "determined"

"The haze has caused real harm to Singapore and Singaporeans," SM Shanmugam said. "We cannot treat this as an unavoidable fact of life or business. The health and well-being of Singaporeans must come first."

He said the government will also pursue the facts for as long as it takes and strengthen laws as needed.

"It cannot be business as usual, even after the haze is over."

He added that they also expect full cooperation and compliance from the companies involved.

"The intention of this exercise is not to find scapegoats. Nor is it to fix blame for public or political reasons.

You know the Singapore government. We will do what is right.

From our perspective, we need to deal with issues that affect Singapore. And we need to be sure that companies which are here conduct their operations in a manner that doesn’t affect Singapore or the region."

Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan will meet Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the afternoon of Oct. 28 during his visit to Jakarta.

This was confirmed by Indonesia's Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya in a statement, Antara reported.

Vivian arrived in Jakarta on Oct. 27, and met his Indonesian counterpart, Arrmanatha Nasir, for high-level bilateral talks that afternoon.

During talks between Vivian and Nasir, they agreed that Singapore and Indonesia would form a joint task force to tackle the forest fires behind the recent transboundary haze.

Its work includes holding companies accountable for the forest fires and facilitating information sharing, financial intelligence, and cross-border evidence gathering.