TSH Resources agrees to Singapore haze assessment

KUALA LUMPUR: TSH Resources Bhd has offered to engage assessors from a Singapore government panel at its own expense amid investigations into forest fires in Indonesia linked to transboundary haze.

The plantation group said it had written to Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) confirming its willingness to have its operations, corporate relationships and supply chains assessed.

The move follows notices issued by NEA to its two Singapore-incorporated subsidiaries, TSH Oversea Pte Ltd and TSH Global Plantation Pte Ltd, under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Monday, TSH said it would cooperate with the assessors in accordance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements, as well as any directions issued by NEA.

"The company shares the government's concern over the impact of the fires and haze and welcomes the opportunity to engage constructively with the relevant authorities and independent assessors," it said.

This comes after TSH said on Oct 29 that its review of available records had not identified any business relationships with 10 Indonesian companies named by NEA in connection with forest and peatland fires.

It said none of the companies was its subsidiary, associate or joint venture, nor had it identified any direct operational, supply-chain or business relationship with them.

Singapore has stepped up scrutiny of companies potentially linked to the haze, establishing a specialist panel comprising investigation firms and legal advisers to examine their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

The panel includes Control Risks Group, FTI Consulting (Singapore) and Kroll Singapore, alongside four law firms or legal advisers, according to Singapore media reports.

The assessors will submit their findings to NEA, which will determine whether further regulatory action is warranted.

TSH said it would provide further updates when there were material developments.