Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have communicated.

This sets the political commitment on both sides to "do what is necessary" on issues, including haze.

This was shared by Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan as he gave a doorstop to Singapore media in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 28.

It was previously reported that Vivian would be meeting President Prabowo that afternoon, but no details were released.

When asked how the meeting went, Vivian said that he was not at liberty to discuss the details.

But he assured that communication has "occurred at the highest level" between PM Wong and President Prabowo.

"Now we have to implement those plans, execute that commitment," he said.

A joint task force on haze had been announced set up a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires.

Constructive approaches

At the start of the doorstop, Vivian emphasised the need to ensure "high-level direct communication between governments", especially when transboundary events occur.

That was one of the reasons why he made this visit to Jakarta on Oct. 27 — to seek direct explanations, convey concerns, and explore solutions in person with the Indonesian leaders.

He also said that because issues like the haze affect people on the ground in both Indonesia and Singapore, “politics does get involved”. But it is essential to keep looking for “cooperative, collaborative, constructive solutions”, which he said “occupied the bandwidth” of the trip.

He shared that they have had "good" and "honest" conversations during the trip, resulting in "a few constructive approaches".

They are in the midst of implementing some of them now, he added.

He referred to the joint task force that Singapore and Indonesia will form to tackle the forest fires behind the haze, announced after his meeting with his Indonesian counterpart on Oct. 27.

The task force aims to facilitate a collective response, an exchange of information, and synergy, he explained.

This way, the two countries can work together to deter the companies engaging in "such antisocial and, quite frankly, dangerous acts", and make sure that such actions do not recur.

The haze problem has been happening in Southeast Asia for almost three decades, Vivian said.

"That's far too long, and we do need to find solutions."

Singapore has also been exploring enhancing its legislative and policy tools to keep companies accountable regarding the haze, he added.

Political differences are expected

Vivian was also asked about how tensions from the haze and the recent export cuts might affect bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia.

He pointed out that when problems arise between interdependent neighbours, there are "bound to be differences in priority [and] differences in approach".

There might even be political and polemic issues, he said.

"But precisely at a moment like this, it's important for cool heads to prevail, for direct, honest, candid, constructive conversations to be had, and for us to look for a collective approach."

He added that "differences are to be expected", even polemic statements from time to time.

"But the Singapore way is to be prepared to be constructive, and to be quietly confident.

And I think we will get through this again in our usual Singapore way. I'm confident of that."

On the contractual obligations for Indonesia's gas export reductions, Vivian assured that there is a "common commitment to the sanctity of contract".

"All sides understand that there is a reason why signatures and contractual obligations matter," he said.

Retained green spaces are to increase by 10 per cent for Maju Forest, while for Gillman Barracks, new and retained green spaces will increase by 20 per cent after the conclusion of the public consultation period from Jul. 10 to Aug. 6.

In a media release on Oct. 28, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) stated that it had revised plans for the proposed housing developments at Sunset Way (also known as Maju Forest) and Gillman Barracks, to allocate more land for greenery and reduce development footprints.

In a doorstop on Oct. 28, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said: "Now based on these revised plans, we will be able to provide some 11,000 new homes for Singaporeans."

"That's around 4,000 for Maju Forest and about 7,000 for Gillman Barracks."

According to the media release, 5,500 of the 7,000 homes at Gillman Barracks are for public housing.

Government plans to "build taller where we can" to retain more greenery

According to the media release, site works are expected to start from the second half of 2027 at Gillman Barracks, with demolitions followed by land preparation works expected to commence in 2029.

Preparation works for Maju Forest will likely begin in the first half of 2028, with public access to the site restricted once works begin.

Tan added in his doorstop: "We will develop both sites progressively over the next decade into homes and neighbourhoods where families can enjoy green spaces, community facilities, and amenities."

In his doorstop, Tan added that the government plans to build "taller where we can" to retain more greenery while ensuring that they can provide more homes for Singaporeans.

When asked for figures regarding the housing trade-off, Tan said that for Maju Forest, it was around 400 units less and for Gillman Barracks it would amount to about a decrease of 800 units.

"So, taking into account all of the considerations, we have found as best as we can a landing spot and also a right balance."

Increase in green areas retained

The revision will expand the retained green areas at Maju Forest from around eight hectares to 10 hectares, which is approximately 45 per cent of the 23-hectare site, up from 35 per cent in the original plan.

Maju Forest's additional retained area lies in the southern part of the site.

For Gillman Barracks, the area set aside for greenery will rise from about eight hectares to 12 hectares, which is approximately 60 per cent of the 20 hectares of existing greenery on site. HDB originally planned to keep about 40 per cent of existing greenery.

The media release noted that more of the forest around a small hill in Gillman Barracks will be retained for a greener front towards Telok Blangah Street 31.

Along Lock Road and Malan Road, the north-south ecological corridor will also be widened.

Refinements guided by scientific studies and public feedback

HDB's media release said that during the public consultation period, feedback submissions received stood at 7,200 for Maju Forest and 2,300 for Gillman Barracks.

Additionally, around 1,000 stakeholders were engaged to better understand the concerns of the community, added the media release.

Feedback for both sites focused on concerns over the impact on greenery, such as the loss of habitat and biodiversity, with questions on whether more housing was required at the two sites and suggestions to explore other brownfield sites.

For Gillman Barracks, many respondents also highlighted its heritage, cultural and community value.

The revised plan will continue to retain the same 25 buildings initially identified for retention.

New nature parks

The proposed retained area at Maju Forest will be safeguarded as a new nature park, according to the media release.

The larger contiguous retained green area will also provide a wider pathway for wildlife movement, including the Straw-headed Bulbul and Sunda Pangolin.

In the case of Gillman Barracks, the larger green area will provide a wider buffer around the existing forest and enhance ecological connections to the Southern Ridges, Berlayar Creek and Labrador Nature Reserve.

The green areas in Gillman Barracks will be incorporated into the upcoming Alexandra Nature Park, expanding the green areas within the Labrador Nature Park Network.

The media release added that NParks will also enhance the Round Island Route along Alexandra Road to improve north-south connectivity between the rail corridor and the Labrador Nature Park Network.

They will also enhance Nature Ways along Alexandra Road, Telok Blangah Road and set up a new nature way along Telok Blangah Street 31 to intensify greenery along the edges of the Gillman Barracks site.

Next steps

An Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan will be enacted prior to the start of development work at both sites' vegetated areas.

Environmental mitigation and monitoring measures will also continue as developments are implemented.

For future housing projects, HDB said in the media release that climate-friendly designs and extensive precinct greenery will be implemented.

Moving forward, Tan said the government will engage the public "as early as possible" in the planning process, noting that Maju Forest had already been zoned for residential use since 1980.

More details on the feedback and how they were considered in plan reviews will be set out in Feedback Summary Reports on HDB InfoWEB alongside the revised environmental study reports for both sites.

Previous developments

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced plans to develop new homes at Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way (Maju Forest) on Jul. 10.

In parliament on Aug. 4, Tan said that plans for Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way "have not been finalised" and the government would proceed to redevelop both areas.

On Aug. 16, over 2,000 people turned up for the Maju Rally, an event organised by SG Climate Rally to protest the housing plans.

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.