Illegal Seletar jetties have to go

Jose Hong Straits Times 28 Mar 12;

IS IT a case of giving someone a foot, only for them to take a mile?

In 1993, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) approved the use of part of the picturesque Seletar Reservoir coast as mooring bases for boats.

But over the years, long wooden jetties and structures have been built that extend from the mangroves far out into the sea.

Each of them has a different operator, and some have been run by the same families for years.

All of them will now have to go.

In a joint statement to The Straits Times, MPA and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the jetties and structures on stilts are unauthorised and pose a safety hazard.

The MPA informed the jetty operators early this month to remove the unauthorised structures.

Mr Kelanasari Eeban, who runs Jenal Jetty with an aunt, claimed the jetties exist because of a prior verbal arrangement with the MPA.

He added that the jetties provide a mooring place for the boaters who use them, especially when the tide recedes.

The argument clearly does not wash with MPA officers who visited the jetty last Friday and gave the craft owners a seven-day extension to clear out.

MPA and SLA said that individuals cannot simply lay claim to state land for their private use.

SLA added: 'In this case, we had not taken immediate action as the owners use them for their livelihood. We have been in discussion with MPA and the Police Coast Guard to find alternative arrangements for the owners.'

Illegal jetties around for years
Three of the owners told to attend meeting with authorities today
Jose Hong Straits Times 28 Mar 12;

OFF the eastern corner of the Lower Seletar Reservoir Dam lies a sleepy mangrove patch.

Several wooden jetties and structures extend from the mangroves into the sea. Each of them has a different owner, and some have been run by the same families for years. It turns out they are all illegal.

According to a joint statement by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the jetties and structures on stilts are unauthorised, and must be removed in due course.

No one is allowed to claim state land for their private use, the statement said. State land is held by the Government on behalf of citizens. Proceeds from the sale of state land go to the national coffers.

The latest move comes soon after the SLA ordered a group of residents to cease their farming activities on state land in Clementi earlier this month.

A spokesman for the MPA elaborated, saying that part of the Seletar coastal area has been approved for use as mooring bases for boats since 1993.

However, 'it recently came to the attention of the authorities that unauthorised platforms and floating structures have been built in that area, in addition to the authorised mooring bases'.

As they pose a safety hazard, the MPA has been engaging with the jetty operators since early March to remove these unauthorised structures.

But those who run the jetties have a different view. According to Mr Kelanasari Eeban - who runs Jenal Jetty with an aunt - the jetties exist because of a prior verbal arrangement with the MPA.

Jenal Jetty has been operated by Mr Kelanasari's family for the past 15 years, although it has been in its current location for only seven years.

Mr Kelanasari, 42, said the jetties provide a mooring place for the boaters who use them, especially when the tide recedes. The users include fishermen and those who own small boats for leisure.

A huge expanse of the shore is exposed at the tide's lowest point, and without the jetties, the boat owners would have to trudge a long distance in the mud to reach land, he said.

Referring to the MPA, Mr Kelanasari stated: 'They know we need the jetty... That's why they have never done anything until now.'

He said that two weeks ago, the owners of three of the jetties were approached by the MPA and were told to attend a meeting with its officers, the SLA and the Police Coast Guard. The meeting will take place today.

Other jetty operators have different concerns.

Standing farthest from the entrance to the area is a jetty run by fishermen. It was built a year ago, after they had a serious disagreement with the operator of another jetty.

They decided to build their own jetty - but none of them informed the authorities. When asked why, their appointed spokesman, Mr Aron Christopher, 52, admitted they were taking a 'gamble'.

He said they knew they would have been rejected if they had approached either the SLA or the MPA beforehand, so they decided to build a jetty and wait for the authorities to approach them.

'We know it is an offence, but we have no place to go. We are uneducated and are all old men,' he said. 'Our life is a sea life, and we have families to support.'

In a good month, he estimated, such independent fishermen might earn $1,000 from selling their catch.

The fishermen were originally served a letter from the MPA ordering them to remove the jetties and their floating storage structures by March 23. Although the letter was dated March 14, they received it only on March 20, they said.

But last Friday they were visited by MPA officers who, upon gathering information and listening to their situation, gave them a seven-day extension.

In this period Mr Aron will write a letter listing the fishermen using the jetty. He hopes to present it to Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah.

He said he is feeling more positive, after receiving the extension to the deadline, but 'all we can do is wait for the results'.

A DIFFERENT VIEW

'They know we need the jetty... That's why they have never done anything until now.'

Mr Kelanasari Eeban, who runs Jenal Jetty with an aunt. According to him, the jetties - which are near the Seletar Aerospace hub - exist because of a prior verbal arrangement with the MPA. Jenal Jetty has been operated by Mr Kelanasari's family for the past 15 years, although it has been in its current location for only seven years.