Important for cool heads to prevail, says Vivian as ASEAN neighbours tackle haze issue

JAKARTA — Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan has called for "cool heads to prevail" as Singapore and Indonesia work together to tackle the long-running regional haze problem.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct 28), he said differences in priorities and approaches were to be expected, but both countries needed to maintain open communication and seek constructive solutions.

"Precisely at a moment like this, it's important for cool heads to prevail, for direct, honest, candid, constructive conversations to be had, and for us to look for a collective approach."

Dr Balakrishnan noted that the haze has been a problem in Southeast Asia for nearly three decades, adding: "That's far too long, and we do need to find solutions.

"And in the case of Singapore, we are also exploring enhancing our legislative policy tools to keep companies accountable and to make sure that everyone does what they need to do.

"I think the last few weeks with the haze in Singapore has been a period of concern, anxiety, anger. It has been a difficult time for many families back in Singapore. I completely understand that, and we had to respond. No doubt about that."

Differences are to be expected from time to time, he said.

"But the Singapore way is to be prepared, to be constructive and be quietly confident, and I think we will get through this again in our usual Singapore way. I'm confident of that.

"The point I want to emphasise is that Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, our immediate neighbours, our permanent neighbours, we will always be interdependent, and it also means we will also face common threats and challenges."

The haze is one example. Pandemics are another example, and there will be other similar challenges in the future, Dr Balakrishnan said.

On Tuesday, Singapore and Indonesia agreed to explore setting up a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires linked to transboundary haze.

Singapore stresses preparedness, regional cooperation

The two countries also agreed to establish a ministerial- and senior official-level hotline to address bilateral issues. 

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore has to remain prepared for future crises by diversifying sources of essential supplies and building up reserves, allowing the country to cope "calmly, comprehensively and confidently".

He also said Singapore's ASEAN chairmanship in 2027 would provide an opportunity to deepen regional integration and strengthen partnerships, adding that building resilience at home and strengthening ties with neighbouring countries would be key to these efforts. 

Singapore would also seek to expand partnerships globally, particularly to secure essential supplies amid an increasingly uncertain world.

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