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'Shiver in our shoes? That's not the Singapore approach': Shanmugam on pursuing Indonesian haze-linked firms, Singapore News - AsiaOne https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/shanmugam-diplomatic-implications-indonesia-haze-linked-companies   📰 Full Article Summary   Headline   'Shiver in our shoes? That's not the Singapore approach': Shanmugam on pursuing Indonesian haze-linked firms Source: AsiaOne — Published Oct 19, 2026, 10:30 AM | By Sean Ler        📌 Key Points   🎯 Singapore's Stance on Diplomatic Concerns   When asked whether Singapore is worried about diplomatic implications from taking legal action against Indonesian companies linked to the fires, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam was clear:   "Our people are suffering. What do these experts think we are supposed to do? Shiver in our shoes before we take any action to protect our own people? That's not the Singapore approach."    He added: "If we think like that, there will be no Singapore" — and said the government does not foresee bilateral issues, emphasising that Indonesians are also suffering from the haze, so dealing with these companies is in Indonesia's own interest too.    🤝 Alignment with Indonesia's New Administration   Shanmugam noted that Indonesia's new President Prabowo Subianto and his administration have stated they want to tackle the haze problem:   "Our actions against companies which we consider are responsible, are aligned with the broad policies as announced by the Indonesian administration under President Prabowo."    Singapore hopes to get full cooperation from Indonesia and has also offered help to put out the fires.    ⚖️ Every Legal & Regulatory Lever — No Hiding Behind Corporate Structures   Shanmugam warned the government will use "every legal and regulatory lever" available — targeting firms' bottom lines, access to financing, and investor standing.    Crucially, authorities will look beyond individual concession holders to the larger corporate groups and the people who ultimately control them:   "They cannot play hide and seek with different corporate structures."    He cited Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), whose suppliers include three companies already issued notices by the National Environment Agency (NEA) — these links will be investigated further.        ✅ Quick Recap   - ✅ Singapore will not hesitate to act to protect its people - ✅ Actions are aligned with President Prabowo's stated goals - ✅ Will pursue parent groups & ultimate owners, not just local subsidiaries - ✅ Pressure points: financing, profitability, reputation - ✅ Offered Indonesia full cooperation on firefighting efforts        

1. Operational Overhaul: Switch to Real-Time Health Metrics Scrap the 24-Hour Rolling PSI as the Public Benchmark: The primary headline metric on official government apps and public advisories would immediately shift to 1-Hour Real-Time \text{PM}_{2.5} concentration levels. Why: Waiting for a 24-hour mathematical average to cross 100 or 200 before activating response protocols is an administrative relic. Citizens don't breathe 24-hour averages; they breathe the air outside right now. Public health triggers (school outdoor activity bans, workplace safety alerts, mask availability) would be dynamically tied to 1-hour spikes, giving people actionable, real-time protection rather than delayed reassurance.   2. Direct Relief: Stop Making Vulnerable Seniors Walk Through Smog   Proactive Doorstep & Clinic Distribution: Instead of requiring vulnerable elderly residents to walk through toxic air to Community Clubs to collect masks or access "haze shelters", I would mobilize the PA network, Silver Generation Ambassadors, and delivery services to drop N95 masks and basic air filtration units directly at the homes of lower-income seniors, CHAS Blue/Orange cardholders, and respiratory patients. Subsidized Indoor Clean Air Infrastructure: Offer direct green-rebates or vouchers for HEPA air purifiers for low-income households and ensure all public preschools, eldercare centers, and community hubs are equipped with commercial-grade air scrubbers long before the haze season hits.   3. Supply Chain Legal Levers: Hit the Polluters' Bottom Line in Singapore Sending formal warning letters under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) to foreign firms that lack a physical footprint in Singapore has proven to be a legal dead end. My ministry would shift from legal warnings to direct financial exclusion:   Target the Parent Companies & Banking Channels: Amend the THPA to mandate that any financial institution, bank, or corporate entity operating within Singapore is legally prohibited from providing loans, underwriting bonds, or managing equity for parent conglomerates linked to fire concessions. Blacklist Tainted Supply Chains: Enforce strict corporate sustainability disclosure rules. Any SGX-listed company or major regional importer selling palm oil, paper, or timber products in Singapore must prove 100% fire-free supply chain traceability. If a concession burns, their products are instantly banned from Singaporean supermarket shelves and trade hubs. Make It an Economic Risk, Not a S$2M Fine: A statutory fine capped at S$2 million is just a minor operating cost for a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. Cutting off their access to Singapore’s capital markets and regional banking infrastructure hits their actual bottom line.   4. Public Communication: Ditch the Script and Own the Crisis Direct, Candid Briefings: No more reading bureaucratic statements about "monitoring closely" while press secretaries manage the fallout. Acknowledge Systemic Bottlenecks: Front the press directly, lay out the raw hourly PM_{2.5} data without sugarcoating, admit where cross-border diplomacy faces limits, and detail exact, daily operational updates on what is being done domestically to protect residents.   Summary of the Strategy To restore public trust, an Environment Minister cannot act like an institutional risk-auditor trying to buffer a balance sheet. The strategy must move from defending lagging administrative frameworks to executing aggressive, real-time public health defense and systemic financial deterrence.

you trying to be a beast?