Indonesia Open to Malaysia, Singapore Prosecuting Companies Linked to Forest Fires

sajadi Editor : Widi - 9 hours yang lalu

9 hours yang lalu

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Jakarta, MINA – Indonesia has said it has no objection if Malaysia and Singapore pursue legal action or financial measures against companies suspected of causing forest and land fires whose smoke spreads across national borders.

Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian made the statement at the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs in Jakarta on Monday.

Tito said such measures were acceptable as long as they complied with the laws of the countries concerned and international law. He added that Indonesia would have no objection if Singapore’s legal framework allowed such enforcement.

Tito also recalled that Singapore had previously exerted financial pressure on several palm oil plantation companies considered linked to fires and with financial ties to the city-state.

His remarks followed a proposal by Malaysian lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman urging ASEAN countries, including Singapore, to apply financial pressure on companies responsible for land burning.

Syed Saddiq called on financial institutions such as Maybank, CIMB, and DBS to consider ending financing for companies proven to have burned land. The proposal represents the lawmaker’s position and does not constitute an official decision by the Malaysian government or ASEAN.

Singapore has also begun taking administrative measures. Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Friday, October 16, that her ministry had issued Preventive Measure Notices to seven companies in Indonesia whose concession areas were suspected of being linked to smoke moving toward Singapore.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) stressed that the notices did not mean the companies had been proven to have violated the law. However, legal action could follow if any company was found responsible.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had warned on Thursday, October 15, that companies responsible for the fires could face legal consequences.

Tito, meanwhile, called on neighboring countries to cooperate in preventing and controlling forest and land fires. He said the Indonesian government would not hesitate to take firm action against any corporation found to be involved.

The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department had previously handled 98 reports of forest and land fires involving corporations and named nine suspects in connection with the cases.

Forest and land fires recur in Indonesia, particularly during the dry season, and can produce transboundary haze that affects neighboring countries. Land clearing practices, including burning, have been associated with the fires, which can threaten public health, disrupt transportation and release significant amounts of carbon emissions.

The recurring haze has strained relations between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, prompting calls for stronger enforcement, more sustainable land management and closer regional cooperation to prevent fires and hold responsible companies accountable.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)