MEDIA freedom and out-of-bound markers were issues raised last night at a dialogue on Singapore's future as the country turns 50 next year. The dialogue, organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) and attended by about 20 of its members, was on the sort...
The haze law passed by Singapore last month to punish polluters who cause the haze could have been put to its first test if the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) had stayed above 100 for a few more hours early this week. Many of us in Singapore...
SINGAPORE: Legal experts in Singapore say Indonesia's ratification of the haze pact is a step forward for both Indonesia and ASEAN, but it is the implementation on the ground that will determine if the agreement has teeth. Indonesia's Parliament on Tuesday (16 Sep) voted to ratify...
Singapore’s new haze law will give a strong impetus to the sharing of concession maps by agroforestry firms, as the onus is now on them to prove their innocence in the event that they are accused of causing transboundary haze. Furthermore, companies that refuse to volunteer...
At the end of 2015, the ten ASEAN countries will establish the ASEAN Economic Community. But what will be the impact of establishing a single market in ASEAN, especially on Singapore’s economy? To find out what business leaders and professionals in Singapore think about this...
Hong Kong Financial Secretary John C. Tsang is visiting Singapore to speak at the SIIA's ASEAN and Asia Forum, on Hong Kong's relations with Singapore and ASEAN. Hong Kong media has reported on the trip and Mr. Tsang's expected speech at the forum. Mr. Tsang is...
It was probably wrong to expect too much too fast when Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) environment ministers met to discuss the haze, caused by fires in Indonesia. Never mind that Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which hosted the meeting, have suffered record-high and hazardous levels...
The newly-proposed fine for haze crimes is a crystal-clear sign of the Government’s determination to stop slash-and-burn tactics used by the agroforestry resource sector in land clearing. Announced in Parliament on Monday after a month-long public consultation, the toughened Transboundary Haze Pollution Bill penalises companies...
Singapore has prospered over the past 50 years, based on policies intended to prioritise high economic growth and promote social stability. But is it time for some of those policies and directions to change? Many decisions made by the government have become “sacred cows”, with...
Singapore was besieged by haze measuring PSI 400 about a year ago. The fact that we are enjoying clear skies right now is no guarantee that another severe haze episode will not happen anytime soon. The fact remains that hotspots are a common occurrence in Indonesia....