Clean air and clear skies have returned to Singapore and parts of South-east Asia, thanks to timely rainfall and intensive firefighting efforts by thousands of people across several Indonesian provinces.
Over the past few weeks, smoke from burning peatlands across Sumatra and Kalimantan had sent air quality plummeting across Singapore and Malaysia. Estimates of the area burned across Indonesia range from 200,000ha to 600,000ha, while Singapore and parts of Malaysia saw unhealthy air quality levels.
Following high-level talks in Jakarta last week, a newly agreed joint task force will aim to crack down on corporate accountability and cross-border financial flows.
In Singapore on Oct 28, Senior Minister K. Shanmugam met and warned leaders from 10 companies currently under investigation for links to the fires. Speaking to reporters, the minister said Singapore cannot allow corporate structures or third-party arrangements to stand in the way of establishing the facts.
Together, these diplomatic and regulatory measures underscore the challenge of unmasking who is actually profiting from the fires. While the finger is traditionally pointed at large plantation companies, the reality is more complicated.
Intact tropical rainforests, with their high moisture content, are naturally resistant to fires, but activities such as land clearing and peatland drainage can create conditions in which fires can start and spread.
There are networks of investors, land brokers, intermediaries, farmers and local communities that profit from converting forests into agricultural land. In some cases, those physically starting the fires are several steps removed from the commercial interests ultimately benefiting from them.
Despite stronger enforcement, the fires recur because starting them is lucrative. A more lasting solution requires changing the economics of land use so that keeping forests standing becomes more financially rewarding.
For further reading, please visit The Straits Times where this article was first published on 2 November 2026.