Shanmugam calls Indonesian official’s ‘oxygen’ remarks disappointing, welcomes Prabowo’s actions on haze

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SINGAPORE: Senior Minister K Shanmugam on Monday (Oct 19)revealed dissatisfaction over an Indonesian authorities’s remarks that Singapore gets its oxygen from Indonesia’s forests when there is no haze, stating such remarks were “not right” when individuals throughout the area are experiencing the results of forest fires.

Mr Shanmugam invited Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s efforts to take on the transboundary haze crisis.

Mr Shanmugam, who is collaborating minister for nationwide security and minister for home affairs, was talking to the media on the sidelines of a see to Woodlands Checkpoint, where he fulfilled officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

“Frankly, it is not right to say this, when this entire region is suffering as a result of the bad behaviour of companies breaching regulations in Indonesia, and the people suffering the most are Indonesians themselves,” he stated of the Indonesian authorities’s remarks.

The remarks followed Indonesia’s Government Communications Agency head Syahganda Nainggolan on Oct 10 safeguarded the nation versus criticism over transboundary haze, stating: “We’re not just sending over the haze. When there’s no haze, we send oxygen. The oxygen in Singapore and Malaysia comes from our forests, right?”

He included that the forest fires are “beyond human error” and a natural phenomenon.

Mr Shanmugam stated the smog brought on by the burning was “entirely preventable”including that duty for the issue should be plainly developed.

Remembering Singapore’s haze episodes in 2013 and 2015, Mr Shanmugam repeated that the issue was “not simply an act of nature”however one driven by business pursuing earnings.

“We have not had the issue for some years, today it has actually returned,” he stated.

PRABOWO’S EFFORTS TO TACKLE HAZE

Mr Shanmugam likewise acknowledged the actions taken by Mr Prabowo and his administration to resolve the haze scenario.

He highlighted that Mr Prabowo has actually changed the head of the company accountable for firefighting and catastrophe relief, put in location regulations versus slash-and-burn practices on peatland, and prioritised fire avoidance as a long-lasting option.

“The president has personally expressed commitment to tackling that case,” stated Mr Shanmugam.

“Some of these steps are quite unprecedented. They show what President Prabowo and his administration’s approach and thinking are.”

Mr Shanmugam likewise stated Singapore invites Mr Prabowo’s approval of foreign support to fight the fires triggering the local haze crisis.

Last Thursday, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir stated that conversations on support from neighbouring nations have actually gotten in the technical phase, although he did not define which nations had actually provided support or what form the support would take.

Singapore has actually used support and will do its part to support Indonesia’s efforts, Mr Shanmugam stated on Monday.

He likewise stated Singapore would utilize every legal, regulative and financial lever at its disposal to pursue business accountable for the haze for “as long as it takes”and was prepared to enhance its laws versus them on an immediate basis.