Parliament to discuss haze law changes, MPs ask about impact on outdoor workers, vulnerable groups

Singapore’s response to the haze will be high on the agenda when Parliament sits this week, with questions on the Republic’s legal and regulatory levers at the fore.

More than 30 MPs have filed over 50 questions on how Singapore is tackling the haze, which escalated here in early September in the most severe bout in more than a decade.

They come as the Government has said it would introduce changes to the current haze law in Parliament this week to give it more teeth in dealing with companies responsible for the widespread burning in Indonesia.

The majority of questions on the haze zoom in on the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA), a law passed in 2014 to target those responsible for causing or condoning fires.

The law can be triggered when the haze causes the Pollutant Standards Index air quality measure to stay in the unhealthy range in any part of Singapore for 24 hours or more.

There have been no fines or convictions under the law even though it has been wielded twice, with preventive measure notices issued to multiple firms in 2015 and 2026. Of the six cases from 2015, two were eventually closed while four are still open.

MPs from both sides of the House asked about the status of these cases and the challenges authorities face in concluding them, and if the Government was considering legislative amendments to address enforcement gaps. They also asked how Singapore can better identify and take action against companies linked to the haze.

PAP’s Charlene Chen (Tampines GRC) asked if the authorities have assessed whether changes to existing laws are needed to address gaps in determining liability when entities responsible for haze-causing fires operate through complex corporate ownership structures.

Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) asked what information was sought from and provided by the Indonesian authorities and the four firms with pending cases from 2015, as well as what evidence is needed to bring charges or close those cases.

Senior Minister K. Shanmugam on Oct 28 gave some details on changes to come to the THPA, including requirements for firms to give appointed investigators full access to information, corporate documents and business premises.

He had also said previously that changes to the law could be introduced on an urgent basis. This typically means introducing a Bill with a Certificate of Urgency signed by the President, which allows for the changes to also be debated and voted on in the same sitting.

The changes to the THPA were not tabled for the sitting on Nov 3 based on the order paper, which indicates it could be brought up on Nov 4.

MPs also asked about the haze’s impact on outdoor workers, students and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC) asked whether the haze task force had assessed the adequacy of indoor air filtration in pre-schools, malls, and healthcare and community care facilities, while WP’s Fadli Fawzi asked for longer-interval PM2.5 forecasts to help Singaporeans plan daily activities when there is haze.

Separately, MPs also asked at least six questions on changes to the certificate of entitlement (COE) system that were mooted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Oct 8.

LTA proposed merging categories A and B and applying a rebate or surcharge to the prevailing COE price, based on the car’s value. The move is aimed at better differentiating the price of mass-market cars from higher-end models’.

Some MPs raised concerns over the potential unintended consequences of the proposed fee-and-rebate scheme on the prices of mass-market vehicles, while others asked how the authorities will prevent the reformed system from disincentivising the adoption of high-performance electric vehicles.

Backbenchers also raised questions on the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing system, which Singapore will switch to from 2027. It uses satellite positioning to determine a vehicle’s location for toll charging.

PAP’s Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) asked how the new system’s satellite-based technology will enhance enforcement capabilities and whether the data collected may support investigations by other government agencies.

The House will also debate three Bills, including one that seeks to simplify procedural requirements of divorce proceedings for Muslim couples. Under the proposed changes to Muslim law, some Muslim couples who have agreed to divorce and have settled all related issues could complete the process at least six months faster, and without appointing a hakam, or marital conciliator.

Meanwhile, laws to tighten the licensing of maritime services and give the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) more powers to regulate such services will also be debated.

If passed, MPA will also be able to set cybersecurity requirements and issue directions to safeguard systems and infrastructure in the maritime sector.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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