Singapore Names Panel to Assess Haze Linked Companies

Singapore has appointed a seven-member specialist panel to assess companies potentially linked to transboundary haze, bringing together investigation firms and legal experts to examine corporate operations, business relationships and supply chains.

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) announced the appointments on October 30, 2026.

The panel will support government assessments of 10 Singapore-registered companies that have been identified over their potential links to fires contributing to haze pollution.

The selected members include three investigation firms: Control Risks Group (S) Pte Ltd., FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and Kroll Singapore Pte. Ltd.

The other four members are legal advisers and law firms: Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP, Toby Landau KC of Duxton Hill Chambers, TSMP Law Corporation and WongPartnership LLP.

According to the authorities, the panel brings together expertise in forensic investigations, financial analysis, corporate intelligence, risk advisory and legal services.

What Will the Assessment Cover?

The selected companies will be required to engage an assessment team chosen by NEA. Each team will comprise an investigation firm and a law firm or legal adviser from the specialist panel.

The assessments will examine three important areas:

Business operations: Reviewing company activities and practices that may be relevant to the investigation.

Corporate relationships: Examining business connections, ownership structures and relationships with other entities.

Supply chains: Tracing sourcing, procurement and business activities across different locations and jurisdictions.

The objective is to establish whether the companies were involved in causing or condoning fires that resulted in or contributed to transboundary haze.

The assessments will be carried out at the companies' own expense. The appointed teams will submit evaluation reports to NEA, which will consider the findings before deciding whether further action is necessary.

Role of Davinder Singh Chambers

Davinder Singh Chambers (DSC LLC) has been appointed as the government's adviser and will coordinate the work of the specialist panel.

The firm will help ensure that the evaluation reports address the relevant issues and contain the information and evidence required by NEA. Its role is particularly important because the investigations involve corporate structures and business relationships that may extend across national borders.

The authorities have also indicated that assessors may engage additional specialists where required. These could include experts in remote sensing and geospatial analysis to examine satellite data on fire hotspots.

Singapore Plans Stronger Action on Haze Pollution

The panel's appointment follows notices issued by NEA on October 23 to 10 Singapore-registered companies seeking information about their operations and possible connections to haze-related activities.

The companies include Asia Pulp & Paper Company, Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China), Bumitama Agri, Golden Agri International, First Resources, Indofood Agri Resources, Kencana Agri, TSH Global Plantation, TSH Overseas and Wilmar International.

The government has also announced plans to introduce amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 at the next parliamentary sitting. The proposed changes are intended to provide a legal basis for the assessment framework.

For consulting and advisory firms, the development highlights the growing importance of forensic investigations, corporate intelligence, risk assessment and cross-border compliance. Their expertise will support authorities in examining complex business operations and determining whether further accountability measures are warranted.