Question

The air quality in Singapore deteriorated to a hazardous level in September 2015, forcing the city-state to shut its schools for the first time in 12 years. This was due to

• A. Haze created mainly due to companies in Malaysia
• B. Haze created mainly due to companies in Indonesia
• C. Haze created mainly due to companies in Philippines
• D. Haze created mainly due to companies in Vietnam

Hint:

Recall the September 2015 Southeast Asian haze crisis and the country whose companies were named in the source answer key.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

This question is about the severe Southeast Asian haze crisis of September 2015 that pushed Singapore's air quality to hazardous levels.

1. Companies in Malaysia: this is the option marked correct in the source answer key. Note that most independent reporting at the time traced the fires largely to slash and burn land clearing on palm oil and pulp plantations inside Indonesia, though some plantation firms operating there were linked to Malaysian owned corporate groups, which is likely why this option appears in the key.
2. Companies in Indonesia: this is the location most commonly cited for the actual forest and peatland fires behind the 2015 haze.
3. Companies in Philippines: the Philippines was not the source of this haze event, it lies too far from the fire zones affecting Singapore.
4. Companies in Vietnam: Vietnam was likewise not implicated in the 2015 haze crisis.

Per the source answer key the marked option is A. For accuracy readers should note most reports place the fires themselves in Indonesia, this is flagged here while keeping the keyed answer.