Leaders of firms probed for haze links called for meeting with S’pore ministers, warned to cooperate

Senior Minister K. Shanmugam speaking with the media at the Treasury Building on Oct 28.

Published Oct 28, 2026, 06:09 PM

Updated Oct 28, 2026, 06:11 PM

Singapore told leaders of firms probed for haze links to cooperate fully in a closed-door meeting.

Senior Minister K. Shanmugam said Singapore will use all its powers, and plans changes to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to investigate links between Indonesian fires and Singapore entities.

The 10 firms were told that the Government wants “substantive cooperation and transparency”, not “lawyered responses”, and will judge any lapses by cooperation.

SINGAPORE - The haze-causing fires in Indonesia are caused by irresponsible business practices, and Singapore will use all the powers it has to hold to account those responsible, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam said on Oct 28.

Speaking to senior leaders representing the 10 Singapore firms being investigated for their links to these fires, he emphasised that the firms have a corporate presence and stake in the country.

They also have a responsibility to ensure that their operations and supply chains do not contribute to the haze, he said at the closed-door meeting held at The Treasury.

“Where there are concerns about a company’s involvement, whether directly, or through its corporate relationships or supply chains, we will examine the facts carefully,” said Shanmugam, who was speaking as the chair of Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee , the apex group to deal with national crises.

Singapore cannot allow corporate structures or third-party arrangements to stand in Singapore’s way of establishing facts, said the senior minister.

Shanmugam told the companies that the Government must deal with issues that affect Singapore, pointing to how air quality reached “ very unhealthy ” levels with Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings above 200.

Vulnerable groups such as children, seniors and those with chronic heart or lung conditions faced greater health risks during this time, he added.

Shanmugam also told the representatives that Singapore will be proposing changes to its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to give the authorities here greater powers to investigate the fires in Indonesia and their links to entities in Singapore.

Shanmugam added: “If there have been lapses, these will have to be dealt with. We will take into account the level of cooperation you have given.”

He said that the intent of the government’s exercise is not to find scapegoats nor fix blame for public or political reasons.

He noted that the pollution has caused harm to Singapore and its people, stressing that the Government “cannot treat this as an unavoidable fact of life or business”.

When asked by the media about the companies’ response during the meeting, Shanmugam said it was “not a very long meeting”, with the government setting out its expectations and the firms agreeing to cooperate.

NEA first issued notices to the 10 Singapore-based firms under Section 10 of the Republic’s haze law on Oct 23.

Under this section of the law, firms are required to furnish information about their links to companies in Indonesia contributing to the haze.

Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, told the firms that non-compliance with Section 10 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act requesting for information was an offence.

Of the 10 Singapore-listed firms w ho acknowledged receiving the notices , three did not explicitly say they would cooperate with the agency’s request. They were Indofood Agri Resources, TSH Global Plantation and TSH Oversea.

Shanmugam said: “We expect substantive cooperation and transparency, not merely technical compliance or lawyered responses which don’t deal with the substance.”

He said many of the companies had expressed a commitment to cooperate fully, a sentiment the Government welcomes. He pointed out that if the companies were not involved in any way in the fires and their supply chains are clean, the assessment by the Government’s panel of assessors would establish that fact and address the Government’s concerns. “If there have been lapses, these will have to be dealt with. We will take into account the level of cooperation you have given, he added.

His remarks to the companies were provided to the media in a transcript. The Oct 28 meeting with the firms also included Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Seven of the executives representing the firms - seated directly opposite the ministers - were stony-faced w hen the media was momentarily allowed into the room for photos and videos.

Bernard Tan, senior adviser to Sinar Mas Group, the parent company for Asia Pulp & Paper and Golden-Agri Resources. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Bernard Tan, senior adviser to Sinar Mas Group, the parent company for Asia Pulp & Paper and Golden-Agri Resources.

The eighth, Bernard Tan, senior adviser for Sinar Mas Group, the parent company for Asia Pulp & Paper and Golden-Agri Resources, declined to sit in the front row with the other leaders , according to sources in the room.

The other representatives were:

Chief executive and executive chairman of Bumitama Agri Lim Gunawan Hariyanto

Chief executive and executive director of First Resources Ciliandra Fangiono

Chairman and chief executive of Golden Agriresources Franky Oesman Widjaja

Chief executive and executive director of Indofood Agri Resources Mark Julian Wakeford

Chief executive and executive director of Kencana Agri Albert Maknawi

Chairman of TSH Resources Berhad Kelvin Tan Aik Pen

Chairman and chief executive of Wilmar International Kuok Khoon Hong

Shanmugam said he had asked to meet the representatives personally because the haze situation is serious.

He pointed out that the Government will announce the names of chief executives and companies who voluntarily committed to going through the assessment process by its special panel.

10月28日，高级部长尚穆根在财政部大楼接受媒体采访。

发布于 2026 年 10 月 28 日下午 6:09

更新于2026年10月28日下午6:11

新加坡在一次闭门会议上告诉那些因雾霾事件接受调查的公司领导人，要全力配合。

高级部长尚穆根表示，新加坡将动用一切权力，并计划修改《跨境烟霾污染法》，以调查印尼火灾与新加坡实体之间的联系。

这 10 家公司被告知，政府希望看到的是“实质性的合作和透明度”，而不是“律师式的回应”，并将根据合作情况来判断任何疏忽。

新加坡——新加坡高级部长尚穆根10月28日表示，印尼的烟霾火灾是由不负责任的商业行为造成的，新加坡将动用一切权力追究相关责任人的责任。

在与因涉嫌与这些火灾有关联而接受调查的 10 家新加坡公司的高级领导人交谈时，他强调这些公司在该国拥有企业存在和利益。

他在财政部举行的闭门会议上表示，他们也有责任确保他们的运营和供应链不会加剧雾霾。

“如果对某家公司的参与存在担忧，无论是直接参与，还是通过其企业关系或供应链参与，我们都会仔细审查事实，”尚穆根说道。他是以国土危机部长级委员会主席的身份发表这番讲话的，该委员会是处理国家危机的最高机构。

这位高级部长表示，新加坡不能允许公司结构或第三方安排阻碍新加坡查明事实。

尚穆根告诉各公司，政府必须处理影响新加坡的问题，并指出空气质量已达到“非常不健康”的水平，污染物标准指数 (PSI) 读数超过 200。

他还补充说，儿童、老年人和患有慢性心脏病或肺病的人等弱势群体在此期间面临着更大的健康风险。

尚穆根还告诉代表们，新加坡将提议修改其《跨境烟霾污染法》，赋予新加坡当局更大的权力来调查印度尼西亚的火灾及其与新加坡实体的联系。

尚穆根补充道：“如果存在疏漏，必须予以处理。我们会考虑你们的合作程度。”

他表示，政府此举的目的不是为了寻找替罪羊，也不是为了出于公共或政治原因而追究责任。

他指出，污染已经对新加坡及其人民造成了伤害，并强调政府“不能将此视为生活或商业中不可避免的事实”。

当媒体询问各公司在会议上的反应时，尚穆根表示，会议“时间不长”，政府阐明了其期望，各公司同意合作。

新加坡国家环境局 (NEA) 于 10 月 23 日首次根据新加坡共和国雾霾法第 10 条向 10 家总部位于新加坡的公司发出通知。

根据该法律条款，企业必须提供有关其与造成雾霾的印度尼西亚公司之间联系的信息。

尚穆根同时也是国家安全统筹部长和内政部长，他告诉这些公司，不遵守《跨境烟霾污染法》第 10 条要求提供信息的规定是违法行为。

在已确认收到通知的10家新加坡上市公司中，有3家并未明确表示会配合该机构的要求。这3家公司分别是Indofood Agri Resources、TSH Global Plantation和TSH Overseas。

尚穆根表示：“我们期待的是实质性的合作和透明度，而不仅仅是技术上的合规或不涉及实质内容的律师式回应。”

他表示，许多公司已表达了全力配合的意愿，政府对此表示欢迎。他指出，如果这些公司没有以任何方式参与火灾，且其供应链清白，政府评估小组的评估将证实这一点，并消除政府的疑虑。“如果存在疏漏，必须予以处理。我们会考虑你们的配合程度，”他补充道。

他向各公司发表的讲话以文字稿的形式提供给了媒体。10月28日与各公司举行的会议还包括副总理颜金勇和可持续发展与环境部长官傅海燕。

代表各公司的七位高管——他们就坐在部长们的正对面——在媒体短暂获准进入房间拍照录像时，面无表情。

金光集团（亚洲浆纸业和金光农业资源的母公司）高级顾问陈伯纳德。（海峡时报摄影：Gavin Foo）

Bernard Tan，金光集团（亚洲浆纸业和金光农业资源的母公司）高级顾问。

据在场人士透露，第八位领导人，金光集团（亚洲浆纸业和金光农业资源的母公司）高级顾问陈伯纳德拒绝与其他领导人一起坐在前排。

其他代表有：

Bumitama Agri Lim Gunawan Hariyanto 首席执行官兼执行主席

第一资源公司首席执行官兼执行董事西利安德拉·方吉奥诺

Golden Agriresources董事长兼首席执行官弗兰基·奥斯曼·维贾亚

Indofood Agri Resources首席执行官兼执行董事马克·朱利安·韦克福德

Kencana Agri首席执行官兼执行董事Albert Maknawi

TSH Resources Berhad 董事长 Kelvin Tan Aik Pen

丰益国际董事长兼首席执行官郭孔洪

尚穆根表示，由于雾霾情况严重，他已要求亲自与代表会面。

他指出，政府将公布自愿接受特别小组评估程序的首席执行官和公司名单。