Forum: Different year, same haze, same conversation

Another haze season, another round of reports about plantation fires and we ask again: When can we expect clean air without the recurring threat of haze?

The article “Two Singapore-listed palm oil firms named in Greenpeace report on Indonesian plantation fires” (Oct 15) covered Greenpeace’s findings linking plantation businesses to concession areas in Indonesia where fires and smoke were detected. While hot spots alone do not prove who caused or condoned a fire, these findings warrant proper investigation.

Singapore enacted the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in 2014 to hold responsible parties accountable under specified conditions. But having a law is not the same as having it be effective.

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia must move beyond a reactive approach. Governments need to work together before the annual burning and land-clearing season begins, strengthening prevention, early detection, monitoring and engagement with plantation operators. Action must come before fires spread across borders and air quality deteriorates, not only after millions of people are affected.

Regional cooperation must go beyond repeated warnings and expressions of concern. Credible evidence must be investigated, proven wrongdoing must have consequences, and enforcement outcomes must be communicated transparently. Everyone deserves measurable progress and lasting prevention, not merely temporary relief and repeated assurances.

Otherwise, the cycle continues: The haze returns, people suffer, public resources are deployed, assurances are issued, and everyone waits for the skies to clear.

Clean air is fundamental to public health, not a luxury. The haze may cross borders, but accountability must not stop at them.

Phang Geak Lean