(L-R) Myanmar Ambassador to the Philippines Ei Ei Tin, Royal Thailand Police Major General Apimook Karntayakorn, Timor Leste Interior Minister Francisco da Costa Guterres, Vietnam Ministry of Public Security Deputy Director Nguyen Minh Hieu, South Korea Incheon Chief Prosecutor Park Seong-min, Japan Deputy Commissioner General of National Police Agency Koichi Tachikawa, Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Remulla, China Assistant Minister of Public Security Wuqin Lyu, Singapore Deputy Home Secretary Ngiam Shih Chun, Brunei Security and Law Minister Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu, Lao Ministry of Public Security Major General Kongsavat Bounlieng, Malaysia Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail and ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Dato Astanah Abdul Aziz pose for pictures during the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) + 3 Consulation at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 21 October 2026. ASEAN ministers convened for a second day of meetings alongside partners from China, Japan, and South Korea. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
“Following the recent haze episode, it is clear that the status quo is no longer tenable,” Fu said
Among the changes to the law, the government will be empowered to appoint private sector assessors to investigate companies with suspected links to haze pollution in Singapore
Companies found guilty of contributing to the haze may also be fined up to S$1 million per day, up to a maximum fine of S$20 million
Under current rules, companies guilty of contributing to haze pollution can be fined up to S$100,000 ($78,200) a day, capped at S$2 million
The amendmentswill allow the government to prevent other companies from working with those suspected of contributing to haze, with fines of up to S$1 million for each offence and another S$100,000 for each day they continue to break the rules
"We need better ways to obtain and verify information, trace corporate relationships and impose meaningful consequences on errant entities, even where criminal prosecution proves difficult," Fu said
The city-state has already issued notices to 10 Singapore-registered companies seeking information on their operations and potential links to the haze
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has also warned that banks should impose conditions and even end relationships with companies that may have breached environmental laws
On Tuesday, Singapore said it would work with ASEAN member states to strengthen the implementation of an agreement on transboundary haze when it chairs the regional bloc next year
(Reporting by Yong Jun Yuan; Editing by Martin Petty and David Stanway)
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