Singapore sends haze notices to 10 Singapore-based palm oil and forestry companies
Singapore's National Environment Agency has issued notices to 10 Singapore-based palm oil and pulp and paper companies, widening a haze investigation. Companies acknowledge the notices and say they will cooperate, while maintaining their operations did not cause the haze.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Centre · 1Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) has expanded its investigation into fires in Indonesia that have caused haze in the city state, sending notices to 10 Singapore-registered companies in the palm oil and forestry sectors. South China Morning PostN “Singapore has expanded its investigation into haze-creating fires in Indonesia that have blanketed the city state in smog, requesting information from 10 locally registered companies.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2The notices, announced on Friday, seek documents and details of the firms' land concessions in Indonesia, their firefighting and fire prevention measures, and their relationships with other relevant companies; the companies named include Wilmar International, Golden Agri International and First Resources. South China Morning PostN “The National Environment Agency (NEA) sent notices seeking documents and details of land concessions in Indonesia owned by the firms, their firefighting and blaze prevention measures, and their relationship to other relevant companies” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ CNAN “They must also provide details of fire prevention measures and firefighting efforts undertaken by them or their associated companies in Indonesia during the current dry season.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1CNA lists the others as two Asia Pulp & Paper entities, Bumitama Agri, Indofood Agri Resources, Kencana Agri, and two subsidiaries of Malaysia's TSH Resources. CNAN “Two of the companies, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Company and Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China), are entities within APP”“TSH Global Plantation and TSH Oversea are subsidiaries of Malaysian palm oil plantation group TSH Resources Berhad.” Read at CNA ↗
Centre · 2The NEA had earlier sent information requests to 10 Indonesia-registered companies. CNA says this is the first time NEA has issued such notices to Singapore-based companies since the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) took effect in September 2014. South China Morning PostN “The NEA earlier issued requests for information to 10 Indonesia-registered companies in connection with the haze.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ CNAN “This is the first time NEA has issued such notices to Singapore-based companies since the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) came into force in September 2014.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has pledged to investigate companies behind the smog and to take legal action under the Act, and the law ministry said a panel of experts, including law firms, auditors and investigative companies, will support the effort and examine whether local and foreign companies were involved in causing or condoning the fires. South China Morning PostN “Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has pledged to investigate companies behind the region-wide smog and to take legal action under the Transboundary Haze Act.”“The conduct of local and foreign companies, their corporate relationships and supply chains will be examined” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2The notices were issued under Section 10 of the THPA. Failing to comply without reasonable excuse can bring a fine of up to S$5,000, up to one month in jail, or both, while companies found responsible for haze can face fines of up to S$100,000 a day, capped at S$2 million. Bloomberg, carried by the SCMP, notes Singapore has yet to issue any penalties under the law. CNAN “A person who fails to comply with such a notice without reasonable excuse can be fined up to S$5,000, jailed for up to one month, or both.”“Companies found responsible for causing or contributing to transboundary haze pollution can face fines of up to S$100,000 a day, capped at S$2 million.” Read at CNA ↗ South China Morning PostN “However, the city state has yet to issue any penalties under the legislation.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗
Centre · 1CNA stresses that a notice does not in itself mean a company has been found responsible for the haze. CNAN “The issuance of a notice does not, in itself, mean that a company has been found responsible for causing the haze.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 2By Monday 26 October all 10 companies had acknowledged receipt, with most saying they would cooperate; the latest were two TSH Resources subsidiaries. Wilmar said work was in progress to comply, First Resources said it was reviewing the notice, and Golden Agri said it would cooperate. CNAN “All 10 Singapore-based companies issued notices under Singapore's haze law have now acknowledged receiving them, with most saying they will cooperate with the authorities.” Read at CNA ↗ South China Morning PostN “Wilmar, the world’s biggest palm oil refiner, said in a statement that “work is in progress to comply” with the NEA notice.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗ Centre · 2The companies maintain that their operations did not cause or contribute to the haze, citing zero-burning policies and El Niño-driven drought. Several have reported fires or hotspots in their concessions but say these began on neighbouring or community-farmed land and spread; Wilmar, Kencana and Bumitama made such statements on 16 October, and TSH said on 23 October that 274 hotspots in its estates were in community enclave areas. CNAN “Several have reported fires or hotspots within their Indonesian concession boundaries, although they maintain that their operations did not cause or contribute to the haze.”“TSH Resources said on Oct 23 that 274 hotspots detected within its estate boundaries were in "community enclave areas" outside its operational areas.” Read at CNA ↗ South China Morning PostN “Some palm oil producers have previously denied that their operations in Indonesia have caused or contributed to the pollution, pointing to strict zero-burning policies.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗
Centre · 1Asia Pulp & Paper has faced earlier scrutiny: on 18 October the Singapore Environment Council placed it under temporary green certification restrictions after three wood-fibre suppliers were linked to fires. Singapore Exchange said it expected listed companies to comply with the notices and disclose material information. CNAN “On Oct 18, the Singapore Environment Council placed APP under temporary green certification restrictions after three of its wood-fibre suppliers were linked to fires in Indonesia that caused haze in Singapore.”“Singapore Exchange (SGX) said it expected listed companies to comply with the notices and disclose any material information to ensure orderly trading.” Read at CNA ↗ Centre · 1Southeast Asia has seen some of its worst pollution since 2015, worsened by drought linked to a record El Niño. Singapore's 24-hour PSI on Sunday ranged from 102 to 135 as of 9am, in the 'unhealthy' band, an improvement. South China Morning PostN “Air quality in Singapore improved on Sunday, with the city state’s preferred gauge – the 24-hour PSI – ranging from 102 to 135 as of 9am, levels considered to be “unhealthy”.”“the issue has been exacerbated in recent months as drought conditions have been worsened by a record El Nino.” Read at South China Morning Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the story as a regulatory development: SCMP (Bloomberg copy) leads on the widened probe and the haze context, while CNA offers an explainer profiling each company and its stated position.
- Emphasis
- Legal powers and penalties, company responses and denials, the fact that no penalties have yet been issued (Bloomberg/SCMP), and that a notice is not a finding of responsibility (CNA).
- Leaves out or plays down
- SCMP's wire copy gives little on individual company positions beyond three firms; CNA does not mention the record El Niño framing as prominently or the absence of penalties to date.
- Charged language
- “toxic haze”
- For example
-
“Singapore has expanded its investigation into haze-creating fires in Indonesia that have blanketed the city state in smog” — South China Morning Post
“here's what we know about the 10 Singapore-based companies issued notices over transboundary haze.” — CNA
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- NEA issued notices to 10 Singapore-registered palm oil and forestry companies, including Wilmar, Golden Agri and First Resources.
- The companies are being asked for concession, fire prevention and corporate relationship information.
- The companies say they will cooperate while denying their operations caused the haze.
- Singapore's THPA allows fines of up to S$100,000 a day.
National Environment Agency organisation
NEA issued notices under Section 10 of the THPA to obtain documents and information to facilitate investigations into possible offences.
“The notices were issued under Section 10 of the THPA, which allows NEA to seek documents and information to facilitate investigations into possible offences under the law.” — CNA
Singapore place
The government, through PM Lawrence Wong and the law ministry, has pledged to investigate companies and consider legal action under the Transboundary Haze Act.
“Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has pledged to investigate companies behind the region-wide smog and to take legal action under the Transboundary Haze Act.” — South China Morning Post
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
-
South China Morning PostN · · via Bloomberg
Singapore’s toxic haze probe expands to 10 palm oil, forestry firms
Neutral Bloomberg wire copy in the SCMP reporting the expanded probe, company responses and the law's untested penalties.
-
CNAN ·
What to know about the 10 Singapore-based companies issued notices over transboundary haze
Neutral CNA explainer profiling each of the 10 companies, their stated denials and the legal consequences, with a caution that notices are not findings.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 26 Oct 01:45 First South China Morning PostN Singapore’s toxic haze probe expands to 10 palm oil, forestry firms via Bloomberg
- 26 Oct 08:43 +6h 57m CNAN What to know about the 10 Singapore-based companies issued notices over transboundary haze
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…