Gas Cut, Haze Returns

Indonesia's gas supply to Singapore is down, haze-linked firms accept assessors, layoffs rise to a 3-year high, and police roll out a new anti-scam measure.

Nov 02, 2026

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Indonesia Cuts Gas, Warns Pilgrims Off

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta and Syahganda Nainggolan (Indonesia’s government communications chief) is keen to convince you that the visit shows ties are not strained, but decide for yourself: Indonesia reduced the volume of gas it pipes to Singapore by about 8 percent, saying it needs to protect domestic supply. Although the cut is less than 2 percent of Singapore’s daily demand, the city-state relies on natural gas for almost all of its electricity (up to 95% at times). Indonesian Energy Minister (and former businessman) Bahlil Lahadalia, went on the offensive to tell Singporeans that they don’t need to "teach Indonesia how to honor contracts." Indonesian officials have been busy warning their pilgrims to avoid transiting through Singapore if possible. A former Indonesian official (without evidence) has accused state investment funds of “playing a role” in the MSCI downgrade threat that has rattled Indonesian markets. Singaporean funds say they have nothing to do with it. So… ties strained or not?

Read more: Reuters (Prabowo approval), The Independent Singapore (Singapore response)

Wilmar, Four Others Accept Haze Assessors

Wilmar International sold $22.5 million of fertilizer and diesel in 2025 to six Indonesian companies that were given notices under Singapore's haze law, but says it has no operational or supply-chain ties to them. Singapore-registered firms, Wilmar, Golden Agri-Resources, Indofood Agri Resources, Kencana Agri, and two Asia Pulp & Paper companies, have all agreed to hire assessors to look into any relationship they might have with the fires. Amendments going to Parliament on Nov 3 would allow the National Environment Agency to compel firms to hire/ appoint assessors.

Read more: CNA (assessor panel firms), The Independent Singapore (panel members), Business Times (notice types), Business Times (company-funded assessments), Business Times (law amendments)

SGX-Listed Company Tied to Borneo Deforesters

A new Rainforest Action Network report makes the claim that First Resources, an SGX-listed palm oil group run by Indonesia's Fangiono family, is in effective control of Borneo producers FAP Agri and KAS Group. Oil from the three groups' mills was allegedly mixed at a First Resources terminal on the Mahakam River before being sent to refineries. A 2023 Gecko Project investigation alleged that the firm's "shadow companies" had cleared more than 95,000 hectares of rainforest after it joined the RSPO in 2008. RAN also says First Resources misled SGX with a denial of common ownership.

Layoffs Highest Since ‘20 Despite Job Growth

Singapore's retrenchments numbered 4,800 in Q3, the biggest print since the jaws of Covid hammered the fourth quarter of 2020. This report was the fifth straight quarterly increase. The layoffs were concentrated in the information and communications, financial services and manufacturing segments where “business restructuring” was held responsible. Total employment overall was able to manage overall growth of 27,700 jobs, however, most of them going to non-residents in construction and manufacturing. Resident gains came were primarily found in the public services. Overall enemployment held steady at 2 percent, but citizen unemployment was higher at 3.1 percent. The share of firms expecting to retrench within three months has also risen to 3.1 percent from the last-reported 2.8 percent.

Read more: Reuters (2020 peak comparison), Business Times (Q2 comparison), The Independent Singapore (hiring expectations)

Police Switch All Outgoing Calls to One Number, 6000 0999

Beginning today, November 2, every outgoing call from Singapore police will come from a single number: 6000 0999. Every one of those calls will be followed by an SMS from the "gov.sg" sender ID (even if you don’t answer the call), and the texts are expected to normally include the name of the officer making the call. The number is not able to receive incoming calls and will not be used on WhatsApp or Telegram. This change is being introduced because the Singapore police are the most impersonated government agency. Other agencies are expected to follow suit; officials say they are still studying how, and the shift will presumably be dependent on a success in this first attempt.

Read more: Straits Times (all-agency losses), CNA (caller verification steps), Police Gov (police losses), AsiaOne (year-on-year rise)

Nearly 20% of Prime Home Resales at a Loss

Nearly one in five private home resales in Singapore's prime Core Central Region lost money during Q3. Islandwide, loss-making deals were only about 4.6 percent of all resales, which is the highest reported share since the Q2 2022. The biggest hit was felt at Marina One Residences, where a 710 sq ft unit sold for about 32 percent less than its 2018 purchase price. The median gain on profitable resales also dropped to 24.8 percent, compared to a 30.4 percent peak in Q2 2025. The biggest winner in the quarter by dollar amount was for a 4,704 sq ft Leedon Residence unit that sold for 35.5 percent above its 2017 price.

Private-Hire Car Buyers Lose Loan Exemption

Individuals buying private-hire cars in Singapore now will now have the same loan limits as ordinary car buyers. Loans are to be limited to 70 percent of the purchase price (taxes and COE premium included). For the most expensive vehicles, the cap is 60 percent. Tenure is limited to a seven year term. Registrations of individually owned self-drive private-hire cars averaged about 500 a month from January to September, compared to a pace of 300 a month through 2025. The loophole is closing because some buyers are suspected of registering mostly so they can take advantage of the (previously) looser financing.

Read more: Business Times (OMV threshold), Business Times (registration surge), The Independent Singapore (industry reaction)

Police Recover All $12.8M “Lost” to Scam

Singapore police have managed to recover the full $12.8 million (S$16.35 million) that a petrochemical firm wired to a Cambodian account in a business email compromise scam. An email posing as a counterpart sent new payment instructions to the payee, and despite the fact the paying firms identified the discrepancy, they were swayed by a further authorization letter that had the counterpart's signature and stamp to make the payment. The fraud came to light when the real counterpart called to ask where their money was.

Tampered Ledger Wallets From SG Cost S$3.5M

At least two people have lost a combined S$3.5 million ($2.7 million) worth of cryptocurrency after buying Ledger hardware wallets from retail stores in Singapore. Police have not publicly identified the stores, but early police investigations found malicious hardware components inside the devices. The compromises could allow for the capture of recovery phrases or private keys, allowing others move funds without an owner's knowledge. Police are working with Ledger, which is looking into the cases.

EMA Hires Nuclear Advisors Before IAEA Review

The Energy Market Authority has chosen 12 firms, including Boston Consulting Group and EY, to give them advise on how to move forward with nuclear energy through the whole product lifecycle from financing to the management of radioactive waste. The National Environment Agency has picked three more companies for safety and environmental studies. AtkinsRealis is on both lists. The work is to help get Singapore ready for the first phase of the IAEA's infrastructure review in 2027. EMA is expected to name a second panel of technical advisers by end-of-year.

A*Star's Marvel-AI Gets S$150M to Find New Materials

The government is putting S$150 million into Marvel-AI, an A*Star platform that uses AI and robotics to support the discovery of new metal alloys, polymers, ceramics and composites. In one touted example of success, the company was able to produce 75 polymer samples in 24 hours, which is about 25 times what human researchers are able to manage. Industry partners include Foxconn Industrial Internet and ST Engineering.

The Mercosur Trade Pact Now Covers Argentina

Singapore's free trade agreement with Mercosur has entered into force with Argentina, the last of the South American bloc's four founding members to bring it into effect. The deal already applied to Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Mercosur will remove tariffs on about 96 percent of products over as many as 15 years, but about a quarter of tariff lines will become duty-free immediately.

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