Timothy Ouyang & Lau Joon-Nie, Channel NewsAsia 17 Apr 09;
SINGAPORE : Singapore and Malaysia have stressed the need to further improve water quality in the Straits of Johor.
The subject was raised at the 22nd Annual Exchange of Visits between the Environment Ministries of both countries.
Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, led the host delegation, which comprised of Dr Amy Khor and other senior officials from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, National Environment Agency and PUB.
The visiting delegation comprised officials from Malaysia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the International Trade, Industry, Energy, Water, Communication and Environment Committee for State of Johor, and other government agencies.
The ministers from the two countries and their delegations reviewed the progress of work carried out by the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment.
The ministers on Friday also discussed the emergency response plan for chemical spills at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing and in the East Johor Straits.
Both countries plan to conduct their first joint field exercise on managing a chemical spill in the East Johor Straits in 2010.
This follows the success of the Sixth Joint Emergency Chemical Spill Exercise at the Tuas Second Link in April 2008. The next emergency response exercise at the Second Crossing will be organised by Malaysia and could be held later this year. - CNA/ms/ls
