Singapore appreciates efforts by Prabowo and his administration to solve haze issue: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE – Efforts by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and his administration to solve the haze problem, including approval of foreign assistance to combat the fires, have been welcomed by Singapore.

Speaking to reporters on Oct 19, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam said Prabowo has personally expressed commitment to tackling the haze, including putting in place directives to prohibit slash-and-burn practices on peat land.

He added that the Indonesian President also wants to prioritise fire prevention as a long-term solution.

Shanmugam, who is Coordinating Minister for National Security, noted that Prabowo had also removed Suharyanto as head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency in Indonesia, which oversees firefighting and disaster relief, replacing him with Kristomei Sianturi, a lieutenant-general in the Indonesian army. 

Suharyanto was removed on Oct 15, a day after his younger brother was arrested over alleged corruption involving emergency relief funds.

Shanmugam said: “Some of these steps are quite unprecedented. They show what Prabowo and his administration’s approach and thinking are. We also welcome Prabowo’s approval of foreign assistance to combat the fires.

“We, Singapore, have offered our assistance, and we will do our part to support.”

Both Malaysia and Singapore have offered assistance to Indonesia in fighting the fires responsible for the haze blanketing both countries. 

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Oct 7 that Prabowo had accepted Malaysia’s offer of firefighting assistance. 

On Oct 10, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that she had been in touch with her Indonesian counterpart, Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat, to offer support.

Shanmugam said Singaporeans are understandably frustrated by the worsening haze situation, adding that it has affected the health of the people in the Republic.

“In this context, it was disappointing that an Indonesian official had recently said that Singapore’s oxygen comes from (their) forests.

“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,” said Shanmugam.

The official – Syahganda Nainggolan, who heads Indonesia’s Government Communications Agency – said on Oct 10, while defending his country against criticism over the transboundary haze: “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?” 

His statement echoed similar comments made by former Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla, who in 2015 said Singapore and Malaysia complained about one month of haze but did not thank Indonesia for 11 months of clean air throughout the year.

Syahganda’s comments were criticised online. 

Shanmugam said he does not think the view of the Indonesian official is held by many others in the Indonesian government or the broader public, as the reactions to his statement show.

He added: “We shouldn’t have to put up with this – the smog as a result of the burning. It is entirely preventable.”

Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues.