Who's to blame for the toxic smog choking South East Asia?

South East Asia is experiencing toxic smog, with anger directed at Indonesian companies accused of land burning and authorities for failing to prevent it. In 2014, Singapore enacted the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, enabling action against firms contributing to the haze. The following year, Singapore issued summonses to Indonesian companies for land clearing by burning, but Indonesia objected, citing harm to bilateral ties and refusing cooperation. Indonesian officials have also made controversial statements, suggesting neighboring countries benefit from Indonesian forests and should not be upset by the haze. While Indonesia has apologized for haze in the past, recent remarks have reignited tensions.

Malaysian airline Firefly has extended its cancellation of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore through Wednesday due to severe haze. This decision comes as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur were ranked the world's most polluted cities by air quality monitor IQAir, with readings indicating unhealthy to hazardous air quality. The haze is caused by intense fires in Indonesia, exacerbated by the strong El Nino weather pattern. Firefly is rebooking affected passengers on Malaysia Airlines flights, and the Singapore government has reintroduced subsidized care for haze-related illnesses.

Singapore has once again been identified as the world's most polluted city, according to IQAir. This designation on Monday is attributed to toxic haze emanating from fires on Borneo and Sumatra islands, exacerbated by an El Nino weather phenomenon. In response, Singapore has introduced subsidies for medical treatment related to haze. Neighboring Malaysia has seen school closures in some areas due to the persistently unhealthy air quality, which is a consequence of fires in Indonesia.