Indonesia Names 20 Companies Suspects in Forest Fire Crackdown

Indonesian police have named 20 companies as suspects in a crackdown on forest and land fires that caused regional haze in 2026. Four of these firms are foreign-owned, with investors from Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea. The suspects are part of a broader probe into 97 companies, including PT MTI, a subsidiary of a Japanese firm. Police have recommended revoking permits for 23 companies due to repeated fires and inadequate equipment.

Prabowo Subianto, the President of Indonesia, characterized the fires as environmental terrorism and a crime against humanity, ordering prosecutors to pursue both corporations and 245 individuals. Data from the Nusantara Atlas platform indicates over 1.9 million hectares of land burned by the end of September. Singapore has responded by issuing legal notices to 10 Indonesian firms and questioning seven listed agricultural companies regarding their links to the fires.

In Malaysia, Johor Mentri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi rejected allegations from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment that linked the state investment arm, Johor Corporation, to the fires. Onn Hafiz stated that the corporation and its subsidiaries do not operate plantations outside Malaysia, noting that its subsidiary Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd divested its Indonesian interests between 2007 and 2023.