[REVISION HISTORY]

Singapore-Indonesia transboundary haze dispute

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-25 12:50 UTC → 2026-10-27 07:26 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Singapore has initiated legal and regulatory actions against Indonesian companies linked to regional forest fires and transboundary haze. Under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, the National Environment Agency (NEA) issued preventive measure notices to 10 Indonesian firms in Sumatra and Kalimantan. These notices require companies to deploy firefighters, cease burning, and submit prevention plans, serving as a precursor to potential prosecution and financial penalties. The situation has led to diplomatic friction, with former Indonesian Trade Minister Muhammad Lutfi suggesting the actions were intended to “appease domestic voters.” Singapore is broadening its investigation to include 10 Singapore-registered palm oil and forestry firms. To address the difficulty of tracing complex corporate structures and supply chains across jurisdictions, the Ministry of Law is establishing an expert panel of legal, audit, and investigative firms. This panel, with coordination from Davinder Singh Chambers, will oversee investigations into company land interests and fire prevention measures in Indonesia. Under this expanded investigation, the NEA has issued notices to a total of 20 companies: ten Indonesian firms and ten Singapore-registered entities, including Wilmar International, Golden Agri International, and First Resources. These Singapore-registered firms must disclose corporate linkages, land concession details, and fire prevention efforts. Companies identified for investigation will be required to hire experts from the specialist panel and submit detailed audit reports to the government. In response to ongoing enforcement challenges, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu noted that the government is considering strengthening the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. Current efforts face hurdles regarding jurisdictional limits and the difficulty of collecting evidence from companies operating outside Singapore, as authorities cannot enter foreign jurisdictions to collect evidence without local government approval. While ~~recent heavy rainfall has helped reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations, air quality~~ some companies have reported hotspots in ~~Singapore continues~~ their concession areas, they have maintained that internal inspections show their operations did not contribute to ~~fluctuate between moderate and unhealthy levels.~~ the haze.

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