Jakarta. Indonesia is investigating possible links between foreign-owned companies and forest and land fires, while Singapore is preparing to issue notices to more Indonesian firms over blazes in Kalimantan that may have contributed to haze across the region.

President Prabowo Subianto said on Thursday that foreign companies operating in Indonesia must be held accountable if found to have violated fire-prevention regulations, warning that the government could revoke their concessions and publicly disclose their identities.

“We need to be vigilant. There are indications that many foreign companies must also be held responsible for forest fires,” Prabowo said at a government coordination meeting in Jakarta, citing companies accused of repeated violations, in some cases as many as 19 times.

“If they violate the rules twice, just revoke their permits,” he said.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the government had imposed administrative sanctions on 32 companies, including the revocation of forest-utilization permits and orders to restore damaged ecosystems. Their concessions cover 1.93 million hectares, of which 18,489 hectares have been recorded as burned.

The ministry is also processing about 120 fire-related cases. National Police Chief Suyudi Ario Seto said police had named 11 corporations as suspects, including three foreign-investment companies whose identities have not been disclosed.

Environmental groups Greenpeace Indonesia and Greenpeace Malaysia have also linked Singapore-listed palm oil producers First Resources and Bumitama Agri, as well as First Borneo Plantations, to concessions where fire or smoke-source points were detected. Malaysian plantation group Kuala Lumpur Kepong has also been linked to Indonesian concession holder Menteng Jaya Sawit Perdana.

Singapore and Malaysia Step Up Response
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has issued notices to 10 Indonesian companies under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014. The notices cover seven companies linked to fires in Sumatra and three whose concession areas in Kalimantan were associated with smoke that may have drifted to Singapore.

The companies must deploy firefighting personnel, halt burning activities and submit plans to extinguish fires and prevent their recurrence. Those convicted under the law can face fines of up to S$100,000 per day, capped at S$2 million.

The seven companies initially notified include Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, Paramitra Mulia Langgeng, Sumatera Alam Anugerah, SBA Wood Industries, Hutan Lestari Raya and Bangkanesia. The three subsequently identified in Kalimantan are Buana Megatama Jaya, Mananjung Hayak and Baratama Putra Perkasa.

Singapore Senior Minister K. Shanmugam has said authorities will examine links between concession holders and their wider corporate groups, citing Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), which sources from three companies that received NEA notices.

APP has defended its fire-prevention record, saying most fires originated outside its suppliers’ concession boundaries. First Resources and Bumitama Agri have also expressed support for evidence-based investigations, saying some fires began outside their managed areas before spreading.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia remained ready to help Indonesia fight the fires, which have spread haze across borders, disrupted daily life and forced school closures in several Malaysian states and districts, according to national news agency Bernama.

Anwar also called for stronger cooperation through ASEAN, proposing a mechanism to improve regional coordination and collective responses to transboundary haze.

Environmental Groups Demand Tougher Action
Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Belgis Habiba said the group’s research had identified companies linked to haze whose corporate groups were based in Singapore and Malaysia or connected to the two countries.

“Singapore is a financial center in Southeast Asia, and many financial institutions are based there. Some environmentally damaging plantation expansions are suspected of receiving funding from financial institutions or through the country’s capital markets,” she told The Jakarta Globe.

Greenpeace called on the government to revoke concessions in peatland landscapes, require companies to restore damaged peatlands and compensate affected communities, and disclose data on forest and peatland fires. It also urged comprehensive, landscape-based peatland protection and restoration rules.

Uli Arta Siagian, head of the forest and plantation campaign division at the Indonesian environmental group WALHI, said at least 93 companies were registered in Singapore or Malaysia or had subsequently become part of corporate groups listed in those countries.

Beyond revoking permits, Siagian called for companies found responsible to be blacklisted from obtaining new licenses and loans. She also urged the government to impose a moratorium on new permits to deter further environmental damage.

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