Workers' Party MPs to ask why 2015 haze cases are still open after 11 years & what's stopping charges from being brought
Singapore skyline during the October haze
SINGAPORE: In connection with this year’s severe transboundary haze situation, Members of Parliament (MPs) from the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) will be raising several questions for the sessions on Nov 3 and 4.
The central theme of the questions is this: “Are Singaporeans well protected against the haze?”
In a social media post from last weekend, the WP said nine of its MPs will be asking 30 Parliamentary Questions, one Adjournment Motion, and one Urgent Bill.
The party noted that while Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act was passed in 2014, there have as yet been no prosecutions. However, Parliament was told that fines would be reviewed once in force, WP noted.
In the following year, six Indonesian companies were served notices; among these, four cases are currently open.
In 2019, in response to a question raised by WP MP Sylvia Lim (Aljunied), the Government said that at that point, it had “no plans to amend” the Act.
This year, three of the four companies with open cases were issued notices again, the party pointed out.
In line with all this, the WP MPs are asking the following questions:
Why are the 2015 cases still open after 11 years, and what is stopping charges from being brought?
What evidence has been sought, and were information notices served along with this year's notices?
Will the Government commit to a timeline for concluding the 2015 cases?
The WP’s other questions involve the level of preparedness of Singapore’s schools and healthcare services, given that vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions are more at risk.
Therefore, its MPs will be asking for the number of preschools with no air-conditioned rooms, whether respiratory-related visits to polyclinics and hospitals have increased, and what additional support is available for people with existing respiratory conditions.
Some of the WP’s questions concern the people who cannot escape the haze, such as outdoor workers, hawkers, and those working in naturally ventilated spaces. They are asking whether employers are providing sufficient masks and rest breaks, if key haze safety measures be made mandatory, and if employers deduct wages or allow leave when outdoor work is suspended due to haze.
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Finally, some of the questions are about disruptions to businesses, the reduction in productivity, and increases in healthcare costs.
The WP MPs are asking the Government
To publish an estimate of the total economic and healthcare costs of each haze episode.
Seek to recover these costs from responsible companies.
For MAS and SGX to strengthen scrutiny of companies linked to haze-causing activities /TISG