Date: 29 June 2013 (Sat)
Time: 2pm
Venue: Hong Lim Park Speakers’ Corner
Venue is already registered and approved by the authority.
This haze problem had been recurring and an almost yearly affair. Most of the years, the haze is not as bad as this year and we are quite tolerant and hope that the Singapore government is able to get the Indonesian government to resolve this haze problem permanently.
Apparently, based on ground feedback, it was partly caused by corrupt Indonesian Ministers who received payouts from land concessions and other benefits that caused them to drag their feet in resolving the forest and plantation burning issue. Our government has been too politically correct as not to highlight this to the Indonesian President, probably assuming they are aware and that Indonesian corruption should be left to the Indonesians themselves to resolve.
So, if we cannot interfere with the Indonesian’s internal affairs, is there other things that we can do to resolve this issue? We can co-operate with Malaysia to impose economical sanctions on trades with Sumatra if haze occurs again. Some of the things that we can do could be ground all transport links to Sumatra if the haze reaches 100psi in either Singapore or Malaysia. Impose levies for all transports if haze reaches 60psi. Ban all wood and food imports from Sumatra ports for 6 months if haze reaches 200psi. Such action will make it for costly for Sumatran farmers to export their goods and hence reducing their profit which will bring them the message that burning will reduce their profit.
It may cause a bit more for not importing food and goods from Sumatran farmers but the slight increase in prices is a small price to pay as compared to the $5 billion loss in economic activities. This will be a temporary increase as the Sumatran farmers begin to realise that their reduced profit is caused by burning, they will stop. They may even ask for the corrupt Ministers to be removed too.
If the haze is stopped, we can avoid putting thousands of Malaysians and Singaporeans and 3000 Indonesian fire-fighters and army at risk in fighting fire in an hazardous atmosphere.
Come to this Speakers Corner with your suggestions. See you all there and ask your friends to support Anti-Haze movement.
Thank you.
Lim Beng Cheng