# Indonesia’s toxic haze is giving its neighbours a political headache

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/indonesias-toxic-haze-is-giving-its-neighbours-a-political-headache/
- Published: 2026-11-02T23:02:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T23:19:32+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3dxwzjn2gw8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Indonesian wildfire haze has affected Singapore and Malaysia for weeks.
- Public pressure is testing relations between the neighbouring governments.
- Singapore is investigating 10 firms and has agreed a joint task force with Indonesia.

## Summary

Wildfire haze from Indonesia has spread to Singapore and Malaysia, causing respiratory illnesses and headaches and putting pressure on their governments to respond. The crisis is politically delicate: leaders face public anger while seeking to avoid worsening relations with Indonesia, where the fires occur annually and are linked to large-scale land clearing.

This year, strong El Niño conditions have worsened drought in Indonesian forests and peatlands, and the haze has lasted weeks rather than days. In Malaysia, some people have boycotted Indonesian goods, while Singapore has opened hundreds of haze shelters, distributed masks and begun investigating 10 Singapore-registered firms. Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to form a joint task force, amid tensions that included an Indonesian decision to reduce gas exports to Singapore.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.