SINGAPORE: With Singapore becoming one of the most polluted cities in the world due to the severe haze that has enveloped it since September, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Thursday night (Oct 15) that the government is looking into the companies responsible for the forest and peatland fires in Indonesia that have caused the problem.
Many netizens commenting on his post commended him for the measures to support Singaporeans suffering from the effects of haze, though others said they expected the authorities to do more, as well as to ensure that such problems are prevented from recurring in the future.
With this year’s Super El Niño weather phenomenon, transboundary haze is the worst it’s been since 2015.
In a social media post, PM Wong acknowledged how the worsening haze is affecting everyone, urging Singaporeans to take care of themselves and others.
He added that N95 and equivalent mask distribution has begun, and that air-conditioned shelters are available at Community Clubs and select Residents’ Network and Residents’ Committee centres.
“We will ensure that support is available to those who need it,” he wrote.
PM Wong reiterated what Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu had said last weekend: that Singapore has offered assistance to Indonesia, adding that the city-state will continue to work with the country, as well as other ASEAN nations, in providing solutions to the haze problem.
However, he went a step further than Ms Fu, addressing an issue that many in Singapore have been asking, especially in the past few days, as the air quality had reached unhealthy and even very unhealthy levels in different regions.
“At the same time, we are looking into which companies may be responsible for the fires. Where warranted, we will take action under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and also explore joint action with other countries,” he wrote, acknowledging that while neither the weather nor winds can be controlled by the authorities, and that Singapore has no direct control over what happens in other countries, the government “will do everything we can to protect Singaporeans, while working with our neighbours to address the underlying causes of the haze.”
What Singaporeans are saying
The Prime Minister’s post has been widely commented on, with netizens offering suggestions ranging from allowing students to have home-based learning while the air quality remains unhealthy and establishing haze shelter accommodations for residents of Hougang, Kovan, and Serangoon.
One, however, wrote that he has high expectations of the government.
“Thank you for what your Government is doing right now, but we expect more and better from your Government in managing the recurring haze situation and protecting the health and well-being of Singaporeans. We are mindful of the complexities involved, but just monitoring the situation, collecting data, keeping options open, and handing out a few masks are not enough. Singaporeans deserve decisive action, not just statements and tokens of concern.”
Another added, “Dear Prime Minister, precisely because we know we can’t control the rain nor the wind, we have to take a more proactive approach to preempt such recurring man-made fires affecting the lives of human beings and all creatures.”
“Our government in Singapore must do what it can to engage the businesses here that make money from people’s suffering - stop causing the forest fires. Not difficult. Value people and planet more than profit. I read and heard so much about artificial intelligence; what about human common sense?” a commenter asked. /TISG