Prabowo Apologises to Singapore, Malaysia Over Haze, Cites 104 Firms Probed
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto apologised at the ASEAN summit in Manila for forest-fire haze that reached Singapore and Malaysia. He said 104 companies are under police investigation, 17 concessions were revoked and 16 firefighters died in fires that burned for nearly four months.
Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto apologised to Singapore and Malaysia on Sunday, November 15, for transboundary haze from forest and land fires in his country, according to a statement from the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat.
He spoke in Manila on the first day of the 49th ASEAN Leaders' Summit. The statement said he apologised on behalf of the Indonesian government and people, and assured regional leaders that Indonesia had done its utmost to tackle the fires.
The fires persisted for nearly four months and caused haze that affected communities in Singapore and Malaysia, the statement said.
Prabowo also said 16 firefighters had died and two helicopters were lost battling the blazes.
Action against companies
Prabowo said his government keeps a zero-tolerance policy toward corporations involved in forest fires. Measures include revoking concessions and starting legal proceedings against companies suspected of responsibility.
"We have revoked 17 corporate concessions. Twenty-six companies are currently under investigation, and 11 have been charged," Prabowo said.
"Another 23 companies are slated to be charged. In total, 104 companies are under investigation by our police force."
Firefighting and prevention
Prabowo told ASEAN leaders that Indonesia has made significant efforts to control the fires. His government deployed 71,000 personnel, and many were injured in addition to the 16 who died.
He said Indonesia must shift its approach from firefighting and mitigation toward systematic prevention. Jakarta is preparing to set up a new agency and introduce programs to strengthen prevention, he said.
Joint task force
The apology follows an agreement last month between Singapore and Indonesia to set up a joint task force to investigate companies linked to the fires behind the haze.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong proposed on Sunday that the task force be expanded into an ASEAN-wide platform. It would share information and evidence to help countries hold companies accountable for haze-causing fires.
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