Hansard Explorer

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry intends to review the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014, including (i) increasing daily and aggregate maximum fines and (ii) enabling earlier investigative action where reliable scientific data forecasts that air quality is likely to cross the statutory haze thresholds.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the haze episode of October 2026, which saw air quality reach the unhealthy range (a) whether any investigations or prosecutions have been commenced under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014; and (b) if not, what evidential, jurisdictional, or operational impediments have prevented or delayed enforcement action.

Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many preventive notices have been issued under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 to date since September this year; (b) what actions have been taken to hold companies directly and indirectly causing the fires in Indonesia accountable; and (c) what is done at bilateral and regional levels to address the ongoing haze.

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government will publish its 2014 International Advisory Panel report on "international legal options" for the haze; and (b) whether, given the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s 2024 advisory that greenhouse gas emissions constitute marine pollution, Singapore will prepare a case against Indonesia under the Convention on the Law of the Sea before the 2027 dry season.

Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment why NEA’s investigation under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 into four companies allegedly responsible for peatland and forest fires in Indonesia that caused haze in Singapore in 2015 has remained open after more than 10 years.

Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what specific obstacles have prevented the four outstanding investigations arising from the 2015 haze from being concluded; (b) what will be done differently in investigating the October 2026 episode; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing legislative changes needed to overcome enforcement obstacles.

Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 adequately enables liability to be established where entities responsible for haze-causing fires operate through complex corporate ownership structures, including ultimate beneficial owners and indirect controlling entities; and (b) whether legislative amendments are needed to address any identified gaps.

Dr Charlene Chen asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Government will consider introducing mandatory, risk-based due diligence requirements for major importers of palm oil, pulp and paper products to trace their supply chains to production sites and identify links to haze-causing fires, drawing on international approaches such as the EU Deforestation Regulation.

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the status of the investigations initiated in 2015 into four companies for possible violations under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014; and (b) what are the specific impediments to bringing these cases to a concrete outcome after 11 years.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment following the notices issued under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 (a) what are the action plans submitted by the companies and whether there are any non-responses; (b) what is preventing the (i) identification of companies associated with the affected lands and (ii) undertaking of enforcement action against responsible companies; and (c) whether the Government is committed to a timeline for concluding the 2015 cases.

Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the fires in West Kalimantan causing haze pollution in Singapore (a) what are the initial findings from data collected on companies that may be responsible for causing or contributing to the haze; and (b) what is the Government’s response to allegations made by Greenpeace on the two Singapore-listed companies linked to plantation areas detected with fires and smoke.

Dr Neo Kok Beng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in relation to transboundary haze, whether the Ministry will require Singapore-listed companies operating plantations regionally to (i) submit plans on the prevention and mitigation of fire and (ii) have annual active surveillance and reporting of fires on their plantations to the authority during the months of August to October.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the four remaining investigations from 2015 under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 (a) what information was sought from the companies and Indonesian authorities, and what was provided; (b) what evidence is needed to bring charges or close them; (c) whether information notices under the Act were issued; and (d) whether such notices accompanied the seven Preventive Measures Notices of 16 October 2026.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what investigations and enforcement actions have been taken under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 arising from the latest transboundary haze episode, beyond the notices already issued; and (b) what is the current status of these investigations, including whether any entities or individuals are being considered for further enforcement action.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what challenges have been encountered in investigating and taking enforcement action against entities linked to haze-causing activities through complex ownership, management, financing or trading structures; and (b) whether these challenges have led the Government to assess the need for additional legislative, regulatory or economic measures.

Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what principal evidentiary and enforcement challenges exist in proving overseas corporate responsibility for transboundary haze; (b) how the Government will ensure additional legal or economic deterrents are enforceable without unintended consequences; and (c) how Singapore will collaborate regionally to improve evidence-sharing to hold responsible parties accountable.

Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what are the reasons and challenges faced by NEA in its investigations against the four Indonesian companies which were issued legal notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 in 2015, such that the investigations remain ongoing.

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment given that four investigations arising from the 2015 transboundary haze remain unresolved after eleven years (a) what specific operational, evidentiary or cross-border legal obstacles have prevented their conclusion or prosecution; and (b) what concrete measures and timelines will the Ministry commit to for resolving these cases and ensuring effective enforcement of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in relation to the transboundary haze, what are the additional investigative, legislative and enforcement levers needed to be more effective in deterring Singapore-domiciled companies or individuals from engaging in irresponsible and illegal plantation burning in the region.

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what has been the biggest challenge in the effective use and enforcement of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014; and (b) what is being done to address this.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the 10 companies issued Preventive Measure Notices in October 2026 (a) whether NEA or the Ministry has shared the evidence behind the notices with Indonesian authorities and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control; and (b) if not, what criteria will prompt the Ministry to actively seek coordinated cooperation and enforcement at the bilateral and ASEAN level.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment given the absence of successful prosecutions under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 (a) what are the key enforcement obstacles; and (b) whether legislative amendments, including stronger financial and regulatory accountability for companies and their Singapore-based entities, are being considered to improve enforcement and deterrence.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment given the persistent cross-border evidential hurdles in securing criminal convictions beyond reasonable doubt under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014, whether the Government will consider introducing amendments to the Act to introduce a statutory civil penalty regime and empower the National Environment Agency to seek civil penalties on the balance of probabilities.

Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many money-laundering investigations have concerned proceeds of foreign illegal land clearing since November 2024; (b) whether the Police will examine funds in Singapore that are linked to concessions Indonesia has sanctioned for fires in 2026; and (c) whether unlawful burning on lawfully held concessions, and offences under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014, will be made money-laundering predicate offences.

Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government is also assessing the haze situation from the national security angle; and (b) if so, what are the potential options that may be employed against companies or persons responsible for the haze apart from legal, regulatory and economic levers.

Mr Sharael Taha asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee (a) whether the Government will convene the Committee and (i) establish a coordinated framework involving NEA, MAS, ACRA, SGX and relevant agencies to investigate companies linked to transboundary haze (ii) trace the ultimate owners and financial relationships and (iii) pursue accountability; (b) how effective have existing efforts been; and (c) what legal, evidentiary, jurisdictional or institutional obstacles remain.

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the Government's assessment of any potential links between transnational criminal activity, including organised or financial crime, and haze-causing activities such as illicit land clearing; and (b) whether the Government will consider making it mandatory for enhanced due diligence and scrutiny measures to be applied proactively to businesses with a nexus or suspected nexus to haze-causing activities.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether MAS will consider strengthening its environmental risk management guidelines to encourage financial institutions to incorporate independently verified fire-prevention and peatland management commitments into financing assessments for high-risk plantation and forestry companies, so that access to financing provides stronger incentives to prevent recurring transboundary haze.

Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how do the MAS Guidelines on Environmental Risk Management apply to lending by financial institutions to plantation and forestry companies whose operations are linked to peatland fires; (b) whether MAS has assessed the exposure of Singapore-based financial institutions to such companies; and (c) whether MAS will set expectations to apply No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) criteria in such lending.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether MAS will issue supervisory guidance advising financial institutions to apply enhanced credit and risk controls to trade finance facilities extended to corporate groups investigated under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014; and (b) whether MAS will work with Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) to institute enhanced disclosure requirements and capital-raising restrictions for listed issuers investigated under the Act.

Mr Fadli Fawzi asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Monetary Authority of Singapore will consider requiring companies with plantation concessions in Indonesia seeking to list on the Singapore Exchange, obtain loans or otherwise use Singapore’s banking system to submit up-to-date concession maps to the Government to aid investigations during transboundary haze episodes; and (b) if not, why not.

The Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mr Speaker, Question Nos 1 to 31 on the Order Paper cover issues related to how we can use enforcement or other levers to tackle transboundary haze.

With your permission, may I address the issues in these questions together, as part of the Second Reading debate on the Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill which will be introduced on 4 November.

Mr Speaker: I agree. So, Members, be patient we will get the responses tomorrow. Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a Point of Order to the Minister. I would like to confirm if Members who are listed in these 31 questions would be allowed to ask supplementary questions as part of the debate after all Members have spoken during the Bill.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Yes, any Member who wishes to seek clarifications on the issues, including in the original Parliamentary Questions may also do so during the Second Reading debate.

Mr Speaker: And indeed, I will give priority for these Members as well.