Ties under cloud

Disappointment

The city-state has expressed disappointment over Jakarta's handling and communication over the issue, such as the early October statement from government spokesperson Syahganda Nainggolan that Indonesia "also sends oxygen" to its neighbors.

"We shouldn't have to put up with this, the smog as a result of the burning. It is entirely preventable," Singaporean Home Minister K. Shanmugam said last month, rejecting the notion that the crisis was simply an act of nature.

The series of pointed exchanges between Indonesia and Singapore has driven their ties to a low point, said international relations expert Dafri Agussalim from Gadjah Mada University, who urged Jakarta to take a more mature approach in resolving shared challenges.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1967, Singapore and Indonesia have had their share of disagreements, though over the years the two neighbors managed to navigate the strains through diplomacy, Dafri said, citing a similar transboundary haze crisis in 2015 that triggered ASEAN to expand its regional cooperation.

But current diplomatic handling of the ongoing regional haze issue, he noted, has been marred by Jakarta's apparent use of a "narrow-minded nationalistic" approach by cutting gas exports and amplifying enmity against the city-state.

"The ongoing haze crisis has created more strain between the two countries," Dafri said. "Indonesia should have pursued quieter diplomacy talks to solve the crisis rather than displaying such a narrow-minded approach."

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang told The Jakarta Post last month that Indonesia remained "committed to strengthening communication and cooperation with its neighbors" on controlling the fires.

"In the context of its relationship with Singapore, Indonesia continues to engage in ongoing communication and coordination across various levels and sectors. This includes discussions on the status of forest and land fires," she said.

THE JAKARTA POST, INDONESIA