As Singapore haze worsen and at one point reach 313 on the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) due to severe forest fire in Indonesia Sumatra, the Singapore government is also under fire for inaction. Today’s air pollution in Singapore has been the worst ever since its peak of 401 in July 2013, the Singapore government has been totally silent on their counter measures internationally and domestically.
Photo of Singapore haze by Telegraph UK
Ministry of Environment Vivian Balakrishnan avoided media address and pushed his National Environment Agency to front the handling of the haze crisis. Foreign Minister K Shanmugam has earlier thrown in the white towel recently saying that there is only so much he can do. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has also been exceptionally silent on the air quality issue despite having the opportunity to address the public on several occasions.
As Singapore’s air quality hit “very unhealthy range” above 300 PSI, there remains no stop work order from the Ministry of Manpower. The Singapore Government’s NEA has at best given advisory notice calling for pregnant women, children and elderly to not spend too much time outdoor.
Most local employers are not taking care of their workers and continuing operations, except for a few like Pizza Hut, which has officially announced that they will suspend delivery services to protect their delivery riders.
Screenshot from Facebook
Update: The Ministry of Education has suspended lessons for Singapore Primary and Secondary School students.