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The ongoing haze issues in Southeast Asia highlight the importance of national follow-through for regional commitments.  Indonesia was the last ASEAN member to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2014 under Jokowi’s administration.  Even though the agreement had entered into force since November 2003 (a year after its adoption), Indonesia’s non-ratification status hindered the effectiveness of tackling the recurring haze problem, and led ASEAN members like Singapore and Malaysia to take the lead in pushing for bilateral and regional projects to address the issue at source.  

 

The recent statement by Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar that Singapore should focus on its own role on the haze issue, and not concern itself with Indonesia, is out of sorts. Ms Siti was referring to comments made by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, at the 3rd Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources held on 15 April 2016. 

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) should establish a set of principles to define its parameters in order to further regional security cooperation. Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen made this proposal in a speech at the 4th Putrajaya Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 19 April 2016.