Lawrence Wong Wants Haze Task Force Expanded to All of ASEAN
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila that the Singapore-Indonesia haze task force should cover every member state. He said evidence on firms behind forest fires should be shared across the bloc, and Malaysia tabled its own haze proposals.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Sunday, November 15, that the Singapore-Indonesia haze task force should become an ASEAN-wide platform. He told leaders at the 49th ASEAN Summit retreat session in Manila that it should cover all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The joint task force, first announced in October, probes firms linked to the haze-causing fires. Mr Wong said it aims to improve coordination and information-sharing as both countries pursue those responsible.
The task force "doesn’t have to be a bilateral platform", he said.
"It should be an ASEAN-wide platform where we can share information more readily and where we can share evidence on those that are responsible, because fires can happen in any country in ASEAN," Mr Wong said. He added that the region wants to send companies "a very clear message" that this is not the way to clear forests.
"If anyone is caught doing this, across ASEAN, we will share information, we will take action, and we will hold companies responsible," he said.
The bloc already has tools for this, he noted, such as the Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution. He hoped that body could be strengthened. Beyond putting out fires, he said, ASEAN must work to prevent a recurrence.
Praise for Indonesia, action at home
Mr Wong commended Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for investigating the cause of the fires and holding errant companies accountable. He thanked him for "taking unprecedented efforts" to tackle them.
Climate change and a "very unusual El Nino season that resulted in a very dry spell" worsened the fires this year, he said. He also thanked Indonesia’s emergency personnel and firefighters, who work "in very dangerous conditions", and wished injured responders a recovery.
Singapore is taking similar steps against Singapore-based firms that may be responsible or linked to companies not following good forest-clearing practices, Mr Wong said. Earlier this month, Singapore amended its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to strengthen action against such firms.
Malaysia’s proposals
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also raised the haze issue earlier in the plenary session. He said Malaysia has proposed Science Diplomacy and Sustainable Haze Fund initiatives through the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee framework.
Mr Anwar said the proposals aim to improve scientific collaboration, promote evidence-based decision-making and secure sustainable funding for the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
Malaysia will push these priorities at the agreement’s Conference of the Parties next month, he said. It will also press them through its chairmanship of the steering committee next year.
On other regional issues, Mr Wong urged restraint over border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. He said Myanmar must show "concrete actions" before returning fully to the regional bloc.
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