Environment ministers of Singapore and Malaysia review areas of cooperation

Lynda Hong Channel NewsAsia 7 May 10;

SINGAPORE : Ministers from Singapore and Malaysia met to review the progress of work carried out by the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE).

Both sides had fruitful discussions and exchanges of views on various areas of cooperation.

Singapore's Minister for Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) Dr Yaacob Ibrahim met his Malaysian counterpart in Malaysia on Friday.

Dr Yaccob Ibrahim is on a two-day visit at the invitation of Malaysia's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Douglas Uggah Embas.

The visit is part of the Annual Exchange of Visits (AEV) between the environment ministries of Malaysia and Singapore.

At their meeting on Friday, the two ministers held fruitful discussions.

In a joint statement, both sides noted the marked improvement in tackling vehicular pollution.

They will continue to share experiences on controlling vehicular emissions, such as the tightening of vehicular emission standards and promoting the use of green vehicles.

On joint monitoring of water quality, the ministers reiterated the need to further improve the water quality in the Straits of Johor.

Researchers and scientists from Singapore and Malaysia agreed to continue the exchange of information on the monitoring of ecology and morphology in and around the Straits of Johor in order to conserve the biodiversity of both countries.

As for pollution in the Skudai Water Catchment, Malaysia will continue to exchange information with Singapore on water quality of Sungai Skudai and take actions to reduce the pollution.

The ministers commended the MSJCE for having successfully conducted the 7th Joint Emergency Chemical Spill Exercise at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing on 2 Dec 2009.

The seventh exercise recorded the largest number of participants to date. It provided a good opportunity for both countries to test and improve their existing response plan.

The next emergency response exercise will be organised by Singapore, tentatively in early 2011.

A tabletop exercise will be conducted tentatively in June 2010 by Singapore to prepare for the field exercise between Malaysia and Singapore on response to chemical spill in East Johor Straits (EJS) in 2011.

Both countries had been working together to exchange information to prevent and control oil pollution, including the discharge of oily wastes into the Straits of Johor, and also update the existing procedures for Control of Tanker Desludging Activities and Disposal of Tanker Sludge in Malaysia and Singapore.

They will explore the possibilities to control oil spill in the Straits of Johor.

The ministers reiterated the importance of continuing to work closely through the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution, involving Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, in strengthening cooperation in tackling transboundary haze pollution arising from land and forest fires.

Since 1979, the Annual Exchange of Visits has served to forge closer environmental co-operation and ties between the two ministries.

The two delegations will participate in the 23rd Annual MEWR-MNRE Friendly Games on Saturday. - CNA /ls

Malaysia, Singapore Meet On Environmental Issues
Bernama 7 May 10;

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- Environment ministers and top officials from Malaysia and Singapore met here for the 23th Annual Exchange of Visits (AEV) meeting, beginning Friday, to review progress in several joint undertakings and issues.

Among issues deliberated were on control of vehicle emissions, joint monitoring of water quality of the Straits of Johor, progress report on the monitoring of ecology and morphology in and around Straits of Johor, pollution in Skudai water catchment and emergency response plan for chemical spill at the Malaysia second crossing.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Malaysia's natural resources and environment ministry and the republic's environment and water resorces ministry said there were fruitful discussions and exchanges of views on the areas.

On the control of vehicular emissions, they said both countries would continue to share experiences, such as the tightening of vehicular emission standards and promoting the use of "green vehicles".

The two-day meeting involved Malaysia's delegation led by natural resources and environment minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas and his Singapore counterpart, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.

-- BERNAMA

Singapore, Malaysia discuss environment issues
Business Times 8 May 10;

ENVIRONMENT and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim winds up a two-day visit to Malaysia today.

As part of the Annual Exchange of Visits (AEV) between the environment ministries of Malaysia and Singapore, Dr Yaacob headed north at the invitation of Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas.

When they met yesterday, the two ministers reviewed progress made by the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment.

Both countries announced a marked improvement in vehicle pollution and will continue to share information on this.

Researchers and scientists agreed to continue to exchange information on ecology and morphology in and around the Straits of Johor, as well as the water quality of the Sungai Skudai catchment and action taken to reduce the pollution there.

The ministers reiterated the need to further improve the water quality in the Straits of Johor.

The ministers commended the successful 7th Joint Emergency Chemical Spill Exercise at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Crossing on Dec 2, 2009 - the biggest so far.

The next exercise will be organised by Singapore, tentatively in early 2011. Singapore may also conduct a table-top exercise to prepare for the field exercise.

Singapore and Malaysia have been working together on the prevention and control of oil pollution, including the discharge of oily waste into the Straits of Johor, and on updating procedures for control of tanker de-sludging and the disposal of tanker sludge in Malaysia and Singapore.

They will explore how better to work together to control any oil spill in the Straits of Johor.

The Environment Institute of Malaysia and the Singapore Environment Institute have conducted several training exchange programmes and plan to conduct more.

The ministers highlighted the importance of continuing to work through the Sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution, involving Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, to strengthen cooperation in tackling cross-border haze from land and forest fires.

Begun in 1979, the AEV is aimed at forging closer environmental cooperation.